Composition
The Senate consists of 315 elected members, and as of 2012 five senators for life. The elected senators must be over 40 years of age, are elected by an electorate composed of Italian citizens aged 25 or over and, save for six senators who represent Italians living outside Italy, are elected on a regional basis. The senators for life are composed of former Presidents of the Italian Republic, who hold office ex officio and those who are appointed by the president for "for outstanding merits in the social, scientific, artistic or literary field".
The five current life senators are:
- Carlo Azeglio Ciampi (of law as former President of the Republic) and in order of appointment:
- Giulio Andreotti (former Prime Minister),
- Rita Levi Montalcini (Nobel Prize winner for Medicine 1986),
- Emilio Colombo (former Prime Minister) and
- Mario Monti (Economist and current Prime Minister).
The current Italian President of the Republic, Giorgio Napolitano, was a life senator before his election in 2006; his membership of the Senate is suspended whilst in Presidential office.
The Italian Senate is unusual among European upper houses in that it has almost the same power as its lower counterpart: other than the budget, any law can be initiated in either house, and must be approved in the same form by both houses; additionally the Government must have the consent of both to remain in office (a position which is known as "perfect bicameralism").
The term of office of the Senate is five years. The Senate may be dissolved before the expiration of its normal term by the President of the Republic (e.g. when no government can obtain a majority).
Read more about this topic: Senate Of The Republic (Italy)
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—François, Duc De La Rochefoucauld (1613–1680)
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—George Gordon Noel Byron (1788–1824)