Letta Cabinet

The Letta Cabinet was the 62nd cabinet of the Italian Republic. In office from 28 April 2013 to 22 January 2014, it comprised ministers of the Democratic Party (PD), The People of Freedom (PdL), Civic Choice (SC), the Union of the Centre (UdC), one of the Italian Radicals (RI) and three non-party independents.

Letta Cabinet
62nd Cabinet of Italy
Date formed	28 April 2013 (2013-04-28)
Date dissolved	22 February 2014 (2014-02-22) (301 days)
People and organisations
Head of state	Giorgio Napolitano
Head of government	Enrico Letta
No. of ministers	22 (incl. Prime Minister)
Member parties	Until November 2013: PD, PdL, SC, UdC, RI Since November 2013: PD, NCD, SC, PpI, UdC, RI
Status in legislature	Grand coalition
Opposition parties	M5S, LN, SEL, FdI, FI (since Nov. 2013)
History
Election(s)	2013 election
Legislature term(s)	XVII Legislature (2013–2018)
Predecessor	Monti Cabinet
Successor	Renzi Cabinet

The government was referred to by journalists as a Grand coalition (Italian: Grande coalizione)[1] or Government of broad agreements (Italian: Governo di larghe intese).[2] At formation, the cabinet benefited from a supermajority in the Italian Parliament, one of the largest in the history of the Italian Republic. The cabinet was the youngest government so far, with a median age of 53.[3] It was sworn in on 28 April 2013 and won the confidence vote in both the Chamber of Deputies on 29 April[4] and the Senate on 30 April.[5][6]

Formation and end

Letta's government during the oath.

The 2013 general election, held on 24–25 February, saw the rise of the Five Star Movement (M5S) and the lack of a common majority in both houses of Parliament. More specifically, the centre-left coalition (Italy. Common Good) was ahead of the centre-right coalition, but controlled a majority only in the Chamber of Deputies. The election was followed by weeks of deadlock, including various failed attempts either to elect a President to succeed Giorgio Napolitano and form a government, the establishment of a panel of experts by the President himself (the so-called "wise men") in order to outline priorities and formulate an agenda to deal with the persistent economic hardship and growing unemployment, and, ultimately, the resignation of Pier Luigi Bersani from secretary of the Democratic Party (PD).

On 22 April 2013 Napolitano, after being re-elected for an unprecedented second term, immediately started consultations. Two days later, the President gave Enrico Letta, deputy-secretary of the PD, the task of forming a government, having determined that Bersani could not.[7][8] Letta succeeded Mario Monti, who had resigned on 21 December 2012, but whose government remained in charge for ordinary administration until 28 April 2013, the day the new government was sworn in. During the ceremony, a man fired shots outside Palazzo Chigi and wounded two Carabinieri.[9] The cabinet was composed mainly by four parties: the PD, The People of Freedom (PdL), Civic Choice (SC) and the Union of the Centre (UdC). The fact that the new Prime Minister was a nephew of Gianni Letta, one of the most trusted advisors to Silvio Berlusconi, the leader of the PdL, was perceived as a way of overcoming the bitter hostility between the two opposing camps.[10]

However, on 28 September, Berlusconi asked his party's five ministers to resign from the government over a tax hike.[11] On 15 November 2013, Berlusconi, who would be soon stripped of his seat in the Senate with PD's votes due to his conviction for tax fraud,[12] announced the re-foundation of Forza Italia (FI), in opposition to the government, and the PdL split.[13] In fact, all five PdL ministers, led by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Interior Angelino Alfano, joined the New Centre-Right (NCD) party.[14] The same week, also SC suffered a split, with its minister Mario Mauro leaving the party, founding the Populars for Italy (PpI) and, nevertheless, keeping his post.[15]

The Letta Cabinet lasted until 22 February 2014 (for a total of 300 days). The government fell apart after the PD retired its support. Since December 2013 the party had been led by Matteo Renzi, the 39-year-old mayor of Florence nicknamed "the scrapper". Renzi succeeded Letta and formed the Renzi Cabinet.

Investiture votes

29–30 April 2013 Investiture votes for the Letta Cabinet
House of Parliament	Vote	Parties	Votes
Chamber of Deputies[16] (Voting: 623[lower-alpha 1] of 629, Majority: 304)	Y Yes	PD (291), FI (97), CeI (45), LN (2), Others (18)	453 / 623
	N No	M5S (109), SEL (35), FdI (8), LN (1), Others (2)	153 / 623
	Abstention	LN (17)	17 / 623
Senate of the Republic[17] (Voting: 310[lower-alpha 2] of 319, Majority: 156)	Y Yes	PD (106), FI (89), CeI (21), Aut (9), GAL–UDC (8)	233 / 310
	N No	M5S (53), Others (6)	59 / 310
	Abstention	LN (16), GAL–UDC (2)	18 / 310

1. Absent (6): CeI (2), PD (2), FdI (1), SI–SEL–P (1)
2. Absent (4): FI (1), M5S (1), PD (1), Others (1)
   On institutional leave (4): FI (1), PD (1), Aut (1), Others (1)
   President (1)

Party breakdown

Beginning of term

Ministers

Democratic Party	10
The People of Freedom	5
Independents	3
Civic Choice	2
Union of the Centre	1
Italian Radicals	1

Ministers and other members

• Democratic Party (PD): Prime minister, 9 ministers, 5 deputy ministers, 12 undersecretaries
• The People of Freedom (PdL): 5 ministers, 2 deputy ministers, 10 undersecretaries
• Independents: 3 ministers, 2 deputy ministers, 5 undersecretaries
• Civic Choice (SC): 2 ministers, 1 deputy minister, 2 undersecretaries
• Union of the Centre (UdC): 1 minister, 1 undersecretary
• Italian Radicals (RI): 1 minister
• Great South (GS): 1 undersecretary
• Moderates in Revolution (MiR): 1 undersecretary

End of term

Ministers

Democratic Party	9
New Centre-Right	4
Independents	3
Civic Choice	1
Union of the Centre	1
Populars for Italy	1
Italian Radicals	1

Ministers and other members

• Democratic Party (PD): Prime minister, 8 ministers, 4 deputy ministers, 12 undersecretaries
• New Centre-Right (NCD): 4 ministers, 1 deputy minister, 7 undersecretaries
• Independents: 3 ministers, 2 deputy ministers, 5 undersecretaries
• Civic Choice (SC): 1 minister, 1 deputy minister, 1 undersecretary
• Populars for Italy (PpI): 1 minister, 1 undersecretary
• Union of the Centre (UdC): 1 minister, 1 undersecretary
• Italian Radicals (RI): 1 minister

Council of Ministers

Cabinet	Name	Party		Term
Prime Minister	Enrico Letta		PD	2013–2014
Deputy Prime Minister	Angelino Alfano		PdL / NCD	2013–2014
Minister of Foreign Affairs	Emma Bonino		RI	2013–2014
Minister of the Interior	Angelino Alfano		PdL / NCD	2013–2014
Minister of Justice	Anna Maria Cancellieri		Independent	2013–2014
Minister of Defence	Mario Mauro		SC / PpI	2013–2014
Minister of Economy and Finance	Fabrizio Saccomanni		Independent	2013–2014
Minister of Economic Development	Flavio Zanonato		PD	2013–2014
Minister of Infrastructure and Transport	Maurizio Lupi		PdL / NCD	2013–2014
Minister of Agricultural, Food and Forestry Policies	Nunzia De Girolamo		PdL / NCD	2013–2014
	Enrico Letta (ad interim)		PD	2014
Minister of the Environment	Andrea Orlando		PD	2013–2014
Minister of Labour and Social Policies	Enrico Giovannini		Independent	2013–2014
Minister of Education, University and Research	Maria Chiara Carrozza		PD	2013–2014
Minister of Culture and Tourism	Massimo Bray		PD	2013–2014
Minister of Health	Beatrice Lorenzin		PdL / NCD	2013–2014
Minister of European Affairs	Enzo Moavero Milanesi		SC	2013–2014
Minister of Regional Affairs	Graziano Delrio		PD	2013–2014
Minister of Territorial Cohesion	Carlo Trigilia		PD	2013–2014
Minister for Parliamentary Relations	Dario Franceschini		PD	2013–2014
Minister for Constitutional Reforms	Gaetano Quagliariello		PdL / NCD	2013–2014
Minister for Integration	Cécile Kyenge		PD	2013–2014
Minister of Equal Opportunities, Sport and Youth Policies	Josefa Idem		PD	2013
Minister of Public Administration	Gianpiero D'Alia		UDC	2013–2014
Secretary of the Council of Ministers	Filippo Patroni Griffi		Independent	2013–2014

Composition of the Government

Portrait	Office	Name	Term	Party		Deputy Ministers Undersecretaries
	Prime Minister	Enrico Letta	28 April 2013 – 22 February 2014		Democratic Party	Undersecretaries: Filippo Patroni Griffi (Ind.) Giovanni Legnini (PD)[lower-alpha 1] Marco Minniti (PD)[lower-alpha 2]
	Deputy Prime Minister	Angelino Alfano	28 April 2013 – 22 February 2014		New Centre-Right before 15 November 2013: The People of Freedom
	Minister of Foreign Affairs	Emma Bonino	28 April 2013 – 22 February 2014		Italian Radicals	Deputy Ministers: Lapo Pistelli (PD) Marta Dassù (PD) Bruno Archi (FI)[lower-alpha 3] (until 3 December 2013) Undersecretaries: Mario Giro (PpI)[lower-alpha 4]
	Minister of the Interior	Angelino Alfano	28 April 2013 – 22 February 2014		New Centre-Right before 15 November 2013: The People of Freedom	Deputy Ministers: Filippo Bubbico (PD) Undersecretaries: Domenico Manzione (Ind.) Gianpiero Bocci (PD)
	Minister of Justice	Anna Maria Cancellieri	28 April 2013 – 22 February 2014		Independent	Undersecretaries: Giuseppe Berretta (PD) Cosimo Ferri (Ind.)
	Minister of Defense	Mario Mauro	28 April 2013 – 22 February 2014		Populars for Italy before 23 November 2013: Civic Choice	Undersecretaries: Roberta Pinotti (PD) Gioacchino Alfano (NCD)[lower-alpha 3]
	Minister of Economy and Finance	Fabrizio Saccomanni	28 April 2013 – 22 February 2014		Independent	Deputy Ministers: Luigi Casero (NCD)[lower-alpha 3] Stefano Fassina (PD) (until 4 January 2014) Undersecretaries: Pier Paolo Baretta (PD) Alberto Giorgetti (NCD)[lower-alpha 3]
	Minister of Economic Development	Flavio Zanonato	28 April 2013 – 22 February 2014		Democratic Party	Deputy Ministers: Carlo Calenda (SC) Antonio Catricalà (Ind.) Undersecretaries: Simona Vicari (NCD)[lower-alpha 3] Claudio De Vincenti (PD)
	Minister of Infrastructure and Transport	Maurizio Lupi	28 April 2013 – 22 February 2014		New Centre-Right before 15 November 2013: The People of Freedom	Deputy Ministers: Vincenzo De Luca (PD) Undersecretaries: Erasmo De Angelis (PD) Rocco Girlanda (NCD)[lower-alpha 3]
	Minister of Agricultural, Food and Forestry Policies	Nunzia De Girolamo	28 April 2013 – 27 January 2014		New Centre-Right before 15 November 2013: The People of Freedom	Undersecretaries: Maurizio Martina (PD) Giuseppe Castiglione (NCD)[lower-alpha 3]
		Enrico Letta (ad interim)	27 January 2014 – 22 February 2014		Democratic Party
	Minister of the Environment	Andrea Orlando	28 April 2013 – 22 February 2014		Democratic Party	Undersecretaries: Marco Flavio Cirillo (FI)[lower-alpha 3]
	Minister of Labour and Social Policies	Enrico Giovannini	28 April 2013 – 22 February 2014		Independent	Deputy Ministers: Maria Cecilia Guerra (PD) Undersecretaries: Carlo Dell'Aringa (PD) Jole Santelli (FI)[lower-alpha 3] (until 6 December 2013)
	Minister of Education, University and Research	Maria Chiara Carrozza	28 April 2013 – 22 February 2014		Democratic Party	Undersecretaries: Gabriele Toccafondi (NCD)[lower-alpha 3] Marco Rossi-Doria (Ind.) Gianluca Galletti (UDC)
	Minister of Culture and Tourism	Massimo Bray	28 April 2013 – 22 February 2014		Democratic Party	Undersecretaries: Simonetta Giordani (Ind.) Ilaria Borletti Buitoni (SC)
	Minister of Health	Beatrice Lorenzin	28 April 2013 – 22 February 2014		New Centre-Right before 15 November 2013: The People of Freedom	Undersecretaries: Paolo Fadda (PD)
	Minister of European Affairs (without portfolio)	Enzo Moavero Milanesi	28 April 2013 – 22 February 2014		Civic Choice
	Minister of Regional Affairs (without portfolio)	Graziano Delrio	28 April 2013 – 22 February 2014		Democratic Party	Undersecretaries: Walter Ferrazza (FI)[lower-alpha 5] (until 2 December 2013)
	Minister of Territorial Cohesion (without portfolio)	Carlo Trigilia	28 April 2013 – 22 February 2014		Democratic Party
	Minister for Parliamentary Relations and Coordination of Governamental Activity (without portfolio)	Dario Franceschini	28 April 2013 – 22 February 2014		Democratic Party	Undersecretaries: Sesa Amici (PD) Sabrina De Camillis (NCD)[lower-alpha 3]
	Minister for Constitutional Reforms (without portfolio)	Gaetano Quagliariello	28 April 2013 – 22 February 2014		New Centre-Right before 15 November 2013: The People of Freedom
	Minister for Integration (without portfolio)	Cécile Kyenge	28 April 2013 – 22 February 2014		Democratic Party
	Minister of Equal Opportunities, Sport and Youth Policies (without portfolio)	Josefa Idem	28 April 2013 – 24 June 2013		Democratic Party
	Minister of Public Administration (without portfolio)	Gianpiero D'Alia	28 April 2013 – 22 February 2014		Union of the Centre	Undersecretaries: Gianfranco Micciché (FI)[lower-alpha 6] (until 29 November 2013) Michaela Biancofiore (FI)[lower-alpha 3] (until 1 October 2013)
	Secretary of the Council of Ministers	Filippo Patroni Griffi	2 May 2013 – 22 February 2014		Independent	—

1. With delegation to publishing and the implementation of the government program.
2. Delegated authority for the security of the Republic.
3. before 16 November 2013: PdL
4. before 10 December 2013: SC
5. before 16 November 2013: MIR
6. before 16 November 2013: GS

References

1. "Letta: Grande coalizione, bisogna farsene una ragione". Archived from the original on 8 October 2016. Retrieved 28 January 2019.
2. Twitter, Gabriella Colarusso (20 April 2013). "Napolitano bis: verso un governo di larghe intese". Lettera43.
3. Dionisi, Brenda (9 May 2013). "It's a governissimo!". The Florentine (183). Archived from the original on 10 December 2014. Retrieved 12 May 2013.
4. "Premier Enrico Letta wins confidence vote in House". ANSA. 29 April 2013. Retrieved 20 June 2013.
5. "Letta wins Senate confidence too". ANSA. 30 April 2013. Retrieved 20 June 2013.
6. "Factbox: Key ministers in Enrico Letta's new Italian government". Reuters. 27 April 2013. Retrieved 27 April 2013.
7. Frye, Andrew (24 April 2013). "Letta Named Italian Prime Minister as Impasse Ends". Bloomberg. Retrieved 26 April 2013.
8. "Italy PM-designate Enrico Letta agrees new government". BBC. 27 April 2013. Retrieved 27 April 2013.
9. "New Italian 'grand coalition' government sworn in". BBC News. 28 April 2013. Retrieved 28 April 2013.
10. "Bridge-builder Enrico Letta seals Silvio Berlusconi deal". The Australian. 29 April 2013. Retrieved 8 June 2013.
11. Berlusconi fa dimettere i ministri Letta: gesto folle per motivi personali Corriere della Sera
12. "Berlusconi expelled from Italian parliament over tax fraud". 27 November 2013 – via www.reuters.com.
13. "Silvio Berlusconi's heir Angelino Alfano forms new party in Italy", The Independent, 15 November 2013
14. "Alfano lancia il Nuovo centrodestra: "No a Fi per me scelta dolorosa. No a decadenza Berlusconi"", Il Messaggero, 16 November 2013
15. "Mauro presenta i Popolari per l'Italia: "Elettori in comune con Ncd, ma idee diverse"", Corriere della Sera, 23 November 2013
16. "XVII Legislatura - XVII Legislatura - Lavori - Resoconti Assemblea - Dettaglio sedute". www.camera.it (in Italian). Retrieved 2 August 2019.
17. "Legislatura 17ª - Aula - Resoconto stenografico della seduta n. 017 del 30/04/2013". www.senato.it (in Italian). Retrieved 2 August 2019.

External links

• Media related to Letta Cabinet at Wikimedia Commons