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Political Data
Head of State (President of the Republic):	OSCAR LUIGI SCALFARO
President of the Council of Ministers (Prime Minister):	ROMANO PRODI
Minister of the Treasury:	CARLO AZEGLIO CIAMPI
Minister of Finance:	VINCENZO VISCO
Minister of Foreign Affairs:	LAMBERTO DINI
Minister of Foreign Trade:	AUGUSTO FANTOZZI
Central Bank Governor:	ANTONIO FAZIO
Minister of the Environment:	EDOARDO RONCHI
Minister of Justice:	GIOVANNI MARIA FLICK
Minister of the Interior:	GIORGIO NAPOLITANO
Minister of Employment:	TIZIANO TREU
Minister of Education:	LUIGI BERLINGUER
Minister of Health:	ROSARIA (ROSY) BINDI
Minister of Industry, Commerce and Tourism:	PIER LUIGI BERSANI
Minister of Communication:	ANTONIO MACCANICO
Minister of Transport and Navigation:	CLAUDIO BURLANDO
Minster of Public Administration:	FRANCO BASSANINI
*Sherpa:	ROBERTO NIGIDO
*Sous-Sherpa:	ALESSANDRO MEROLA
*Sous-Sherpa:	MARIO DRAGHI
*Political Director:	AMADEO DE FRANCHIS
*Representatives to the G8 Birmingham Summit

TYPE OF STATE:

Republic granting partial autonomy to regions

TYPE OF GOVERNMENT:

Parliamentary democracy, Bicameral

POLITICAL PARTIES FORMING GOVERNMENT:

Olive Tree Coalition (L'Ulivo): Democrats of The Left (Ds - Democratici di sinistra; formly the Pds); Italian Popular Party (Ppi - Partito popolare italiano); Italian Renewal Party (Ri - Rinnovamento italiano); Greens (Verdi); Democratic Union (Ud - Unione Democratica)

OPPOSITION PARTIES:

Freedom Alliance (Polo per le libertà): Forza Italia (Fi); Christian Democratic Centre (Ccd - Centro cristiano democratico); United Christian Democrats (Cdu - Cristiani democratici uniti); National Alliance (An - Alleanza Nazionale)

OTHER PARTIES:

Reconstructed Communist Party (Rc - Rifondazione comunista; L'Ulivo depend on the support of Rc to maintain a majority in Parliament); Northern League (Ln - Lega Nord)

DATE OF LAST ELECTION:

Romano Prodi was sworn in 18 May 1996 following the victory of his Olive Tree Coalition at the 21 April 1996 general elections.

DATE OF NEXT ELECTION:

2001 (In a Italy a full parliamentary term lasts 5 years).

The House of Deputies after the 21 April 1996 Elections (Total Seats = 630)
284	Olive Tree Coalition (L'Ulivo)
35	Reconstructed Communists (Rifondazione comunista)
59	Northern League (Lega Nord)
246	Freedom Alliance (Polo per le libertà)
6	Others
The Senate after the 21 April 1996 Elections (Total Seats = 325)
157	Olive Tree Coalition (L'Ulivo)
10	Reconstructed Communists (Rifondazione comunista)
27	Northern League (Lega Nord)
3	Independents (Autonomisti)
1	Pannella - Sgarbi List
116	Freedom Alliance (Polo per le libertà)
1	Fiamma
10	Senators for life

(1998 estimate)

Economic Data
GDP:	(1996)	Lit. 1,873.5 Trillion
	(1997 1st quarter)	Lit. 1,903.4 Trillion
	(1997 2nd quarter)	Lit. 1,949.3 Trillion
	(1997 3rd quarter)	Lit. 1, 972.5 Trillion
	Source: IMF
GDP per capita:	(1996)	18 983 US dollars
	Source: OECD
Economic Growth Rate:	% change at annual rate: 3 months* (+0.7) 1 year (+2.8 1997 4th quarter) The Economist's Forecasts: (1998) +2.3%; (1999) +2.9% Source: The Economist
Real GDP Growth Rate: (ISTAT)	(1997)	+1.5%
	(1997 1st quarter)	+0.9%
	(1997 2nd quarter)	+1.9%
	(1997 3rd quarter)	+2.2%
	(1997 4th quarter)	+2.8%
	The Italian Treasury's Forecasts: (1998) +2.5%; (1999) +2.9%
Inflation Rate:	(3 months*)	+2.3% change at annual rate
	(1 year - Feb. 1998)	+1.7% change at annual rate
	Source: The Economist *Average of latest 3 months compared with average of previous 3 months, at annual rate
Unemployment Rate:	(Jan. 1998)	12.0%
	Source: The Economist
Interest Rate:	Banks prime (22 April 1998):	8.25%
	Source: The Economist
Exchange Rate:	[Lire per US dollar / Market Rate - Period Average] (1996) 1,542.9 (1997) 1,703.1 (Jan. 1998) 1,787.7 (Feb. 1998) 1,790.8 Source: The IMF (22 April 1998 - The Economist) 1,772
Current Account: (Latest 12 months)	(Dec. 1998)	+36.8 $bln
	Source: The Economist
Budget Deficit:	(1997)	2.7% of GDP
	2.6% of GDP
Public Sector Debt:	( (1997)	121.6% of GDP
	(1998 estimate)	118% of GDP
	Source: Italian Treasury - Dpef
Foreign Aid:	0.15 (ODA % of GDP) - 6th among G7 countries
World Ranking:	5th
Major Trading Partners: (1996)	Exports to (% of total) - Germany (17.4); France (12.5); USA (7.3); UK (6.5); Spain (4.9); EU (55.3) Imports from (% of total) - Germany (18.5); France (13.5); UK (6.6); Netherlands (6.0); USA (4.8) Source: 1997 The Economist Intelligence United Limited
Major exports - fob 1994 (% of total)	1. Industrial & agricultural machinery Lit. 52,410 bln (17.0) 2. Textiles and clothing Lit. 37,086 bln (12.0) 3. Electrical equipment Lit. 27,656 bln (9.0)
Major imports - cif 1994 (% of total)	1. Chemicals Lit. 38,356 bln (14.1) 2. Electrical equipment Lit. 26,642 bln (9.8) 3. Metals Lit. 25,621 bln (9.4) Source: 1997 The Economist Intelligence United Limited

Prepared by Ray Claudio Pino and Carla Angelone, University of Toronto G8 Research Group, May 1998.

	This Information System is provided by the University of Toronto Library and the G8 Research Group at the University of Toronto.
	Please send comments to: g8@utoronto.ca This page was last updated .