Factbox-Italy's revolving-door governments — the numbers behind the instability

ROME, Aug 31 (Reuters) - Prime Minister ‌Giorgia Meloni is due ​to ​set a record as leading Italy's longest-serving administration on September 4. Yet the country's revolving-door cabinets have often masked a more stable political system than first ‌meets the eye.

Below are some facts and figures about Italy's post-war governments:

HOW MANY ⁠GOVERNMENTS AND PRIME MINISTERS?

Meloni's administration is Italy's 68th government since 1946, led by the country's 31st prime minister ‌of the republican era. Unlike in ‌some countries, a new government is said to have been created after a major cabinet reshuffle, even if the prime minister remains the same.

AVERAGE LIFESPAN

Across the 80 years from ​the formation of Alcide De Gasperi's government in July 1946 to Meloni's record in 2026, the average cabinet has lasted roughly 14 months. The figure varies according to methodology: calculating ⁠only the period from a government's swearing-in to its resignation produces a shorter average, because outgoing cabinets often remain in office ​in a caretaker capacity.

THE SHORTEST AND THE LONGEST

The briefest tenure was Amintore Fanfani's first government, which lasted 22 days in 1954. Before Meloni, only ​four administrations lasted more than 1,000 days: Silvio Berlusconi's ‌2nd government (1,412 days, from 2001 to 2005), Berlusconi's 4th government (1,287 days, 2008 to 2011), Bettino Craxi (1,093 days, 1983 to 1986) and Matteo Renzi (1,024 days, ⁠2014 to 2016). Altogether, Berlusconi served about nine years over four terms.

WHY SO MANY SHORT-LIVED GOVERNMENTS?

Italy's post-war system combined proportional representation, which encouraged a fragmented party landscape, with coalition governments vulnerable to disputes. The constitution ⁠also requires a government to retain the confidence of both the lower house and the Senate — two houses ​with equal powers, giving small coalition partners considerable leverage.

However, the turnover did not always mean a wholesale change of political direction. During much of the post-war era, the Christian Democrats remained at the centre of power, ‌while prime ministers and coalition formulas revolved around them.

Despite frequent changes of government, nine of Italy's 18 post-war legislatures ran broadly to the ‌end of their normal five-year term, while five lasted for four years.

ELECTORAL LAWS: A FREQUENTLY CHANGING RULEBOOK

Italy ⁠has deployed three different electoral systems ‌in general elections in the past ​22 years, with Meloni promising to introduce a fourth ahead of the 2027 vote, saying it will bring greater stability.

(Reporting by Crispian Balmer; Editing by ‌Sharon Singleton)

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