President of the Senate (Italy)
The President of the Senate of the Republic (Italian: Presidente del Senato della Repubblica) is the presiding officer of the Italian Senate. The President of the Senate is the second highest-ranking office of the Italian Republic (after the President of the Republic).
| President of the Senate of the Republic Presidente del Senato della Repubblica | |
|---|---|
| Style | President |
| Appointer | Senate of the Republic |
| Term length | Length of the legislature |
| Inaugural holder | Ruggero Settimo |
| Formation | 17 March 1861 |
| Website | www.senato.it |
Since 24 March 2018, the role has been held by Maria Elisabetta Alberti Casellati, the first woman to hold the office in the history of the Italian Republic.
Role
The President of the Senate represents the Senate to external bodies, regulates debates in the Senate chamber by applying its regulations and the rules of the Italian Constitution, and regulates all the activities of its components in order to ensure that it functions correctly.
The President of the Senate, along with the President of the Chamber of Deputies, must be consulted by the President of the Republic before the latter can dissolve the Italian Parliament (Article 88).
Acting President of the Republic
In the event that the President of the Republic is unable to perform their role as Head of State, the President of the Senate takes on the role, under article 86 of the Italian Constitution. In this event, the honor guard of the President of the Republic, the Corazzieri, are transferred to the President of the Senate's residence, Palazzo Giustiniani, and a banner with the symbol of the Italian Republic is placed in the President's office.
While the President of the Senate is acting President of the Republic, the presidency of the Senate is exercised by a Vice President.[1]
Election
The President of the Senate is elected by the members of the Senate. This election is governed by the Senate's regulations, which require a simple majority of the votes of the members of the Senate. In the event that this does not lead to the election of a candidate after two rounds of voting, the President can be elected by a simple majority of the voting members (i.e. excluding abstentions). In the event that the Senate still fails to elect a President, it holds a run-off vote between the two candidates who received the most votes in the preceding round of voting and award the presidency to whoever receives a plurality of the votes. In the event that votes for the two candidates are tied, the position is given to whichever candidate is older.[2]
The election of the President of the Senate takes place at the first sitting of the Senate after an election, which must occur within twenty days of said election. Until the election is complete, the presidency is held by the oldest Senator.
See also
References
- (in Italian)G. Buonomo - M. Consentino, Il Vicario del Presidente nelle Assemblee parlamentari con particolare riferimento al Senato della Repubblica italiana, in Il Parlamento, n. 10.12/1999, p. 24-37}.
- "Il Regolamento del Senato. Capo II. Costituzione dell'Ufficio di Presidenza. Art.4". Retrieved 16 March 2013.