First Berlusconi government

The first Berlusconi government was the 51st government of the Italian Republic.

First Berlusconi government

51st Cabinet of Italy
Date formed10 May 1994 (1994-05-10)
Date dissolved17 January 1995 (1995-01-17) (253 days)
People and organisations
Head of stateOscar Luigi Scalfaro
Head of governmentSilvio Berlusconi
Deputy head of governmentRoberto Maroni
Giuseppe Tatarella
No. of ministers26 (incl. Prime Minister)
Member partiesFI, AN, LN, CCD, UdC, FLD
Status in legislatureCentre-right coalition
Opposition partiesPDS, PPI, PRC, PS, FdV, AD, PSI, LR
History
Election(s)1994 election
Legislature term(s)XII Legislature (1994–1996)
PredecessorCiampi government
SuccessorDini government

It was the first right-wing and non-Christian Democrats government since World War II.[1]

Berlusconi resigned on 22 December 1994.

History

In order to win the March 1994 general election Berlusconi formed two electoral alliances: Pole of Freedoms with the Northern League in northern Italian districts, and another, the Pole of Good Government, with the post-fascist National Alliance (heir to the Italian Social Movement) in central and southern regions. He did not ally with the latter in the North because the League disliked them. As a result, Forza Italia was allied with two parties that were not allied with each other.

Berlusconi launched a massive campaign of electoral advertisements on his three TV networks. He subsequently won the elections, with Forza Italia garnering 21% of the popular vote, the highest percentage of any single party.[2] One of the most significant promises that he made in order to secure victory was that his government would create "one million more jobs". He was appointed Prime Minister in 1994, but his term in office was short because of the inherent contradictions in his coalition: the League, a regional party with a strong electoral base in northern Italy, was at that time fluctuating between federalist and separatist positions, and National Alliance was a nationalist party that had yet to renounce neo-fascism at the time. In December 1994, following the communication of a new investigation from Milan magistrates that was leaked to the press, Umberto Bossi, leader of the Northern League, left the coalition claiming that the electoral pact had not been respected, forcing Berlusconi to resign from office and shifting the majority's weight to the centre-left side. The Northern League also resented the fact that many of its MPs had switched to Forza Italia, allegedly lured by promises of more prestigious portfolios. In 1998 various articles attacking Berlusconi were published by Northern League's official newspaper (La Padania), with titles such as ""Fininvest (Berlusconi's principal company) was founded by Cosa Nostra".

Berlusconi remained prime minister for a little over a month until his replacement by a technocratic government headed by Lamberto Dini. Dini had been a key minister in the Berlusconi government, and Berlusconi said the only way he would support a technocratic government would be if Dini headed it. In the end, however, Dini was only supported by most opposition parties but not by Forza Italia.

Investiture vote
Official photo of the Berlusconi's government after the oath at the Quirinal Palace
18–20 May 1994
Investiture votes for the first Berlusconi government
House of Parliament Vote Parties Votes
Senate of the Republic checkY YesLN, AN, FI, CCD, Others
159 / 314
☒N NoPDS, PPI, PRC, FdV-LR, PSI, SVP
153 / 314
AbstentionOthers
2 / 314
Chamber of Deputies checkY YesLN, FI, AN, CCD
366 / 611
☒N NoPDS, PRC, PPI (33), AD, PSI, PS, SVP-UV, Others
245 / 611
AbstentionNone
0 / 611

Party breakdown

Composition
Portrait Office Name Term Party Undersecretaries
Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi 10 May 1994 – 17 January 1995 Forza Italia Gianni Letta (Ind.)[lower-alpha 1][lower-alpha 2]
Ombretta Fumagalli Carulli (CCD)[lower-alpha 3]
Luigi Grillo (FLD)[lower-alpha 4]
Deputy Prime Minister Giuseppe Tatarella 10 May 1994 – 17 January 1995 National Alliance
Deputy Prime Minister Roberto Maroni 10 May 1994 – 17 January 1995 Northern League
Minister of Foreign Affairs Antonio Martino 10 May 1994 – 17 January 1995 Forza Italia Livio Caputo (FI)
Franco Rocchetta (LN)
Vincenzo Trantino (AN)
Minister of the Interior Roberto Maroni 10 May 1994 – 17 January 1995 Northern League Maurizio Gasparri (AN)
Marianna Li Calzi (FI)
Domenico Lo Jucco (FI)
Minister of Grace and Justice Alfredo Biondi 10 May 1994 – 17 January 1995 Union of the Centre Gian Franco Anedda (AN)
Mario Borghezio (LN)
Domenico Contestabile (FI)
Minister of Budget and Economic Planning Giancarlo Pagliarini 10 May 1994 – 17 January 1995 Northern League Ilario Floresta (FI)
Antonio Parlato (AN)
Minister of Finance Giulio Tremonti 10 May 1994 – 17 January 1995 Liberal Democratic Foundation Roberto Asquini (LN)
Filippo Berselli (AN)
Sandro Trevisanato (FI)
Minister of Treasury Lamberto Dini 10 May 1994 – 17 January 1995 Independent Marisa Bedoni (LN)
Salvatore Cicu (FI)
Giovanni Mongiello (CCD)
Antonio Rastrelli (AN)
Minister of Defense Cesare Previti 10 May 1994 – 17 January 1995 Forza Italia Guido Lo Porto (AN)
Mauro Polli (LN)
Minister of Public Education Francesco D'Onofrio 10 May 1994 – 17 January 1995 Christian Democratic Centre Fortunato Aloi (AN)
Mariella Mazzetto (LN)
Minister of Public Works Roberto Maria Radice 10 May 1994 – 17 January 1995 Forza Italia Stefano Aimone Prina (LN)
Domenico Nania (AN)
Minister of Agricultural, Food and Forestry Resources Adriana Poli Bortone 10 May 1994 – 17 January 1995 National Alliance Paolo Scarpa Bonazza Buora (FI)
Minister of Transport and Navigation Publio Fiori 10 May 1994 – 17 January 1995 National Alliance Sergio Cappelli (LN)
Gianfranco Micciché (FI)
Minister of Post and Telecommunications Giuseppe Tatarella 10 May 1994 – 17 January 1995 National Alliance Antonio Marano (LN)
Minister of Industry, Commerce and Craftsmanship Vito Gnutti 10 May 1994 – 17 January 1995 Northern League Giampiero Beccaria (FI)
Francesco Pontone (AN)
Minister of Health Raffaele Costa 10 May 1994 – 17 January 1995 Union of the Centre Giulio Conti (AN)
Giuseppe Nisticò (FI)
Minister of Foreign Trade Giorgio Bernini 10 May 1994 – 17 January 1995 Forza Italia
Minister of Labour and Social Security Clemente Mastella 10 May 1994 – 17 January 1995 Christian Democratic Centre Carmelo Porcu (AN)
Adriano Teso (FI)
Minister of Cultural and Environmental Heritage Domenico Fisichella 10 May 1994 – 17 January 1995 National Alliance
Minister of the Environment Altero Matteoli 10 May 1994 – 17 January 1995 National Alliance Roberto Lasagna (FI)
Minister of University, Scientific and Technological Research Stefano Podestà 10 May 1994 – 17 January 1995 Forza Italia Giovanni Meo Zilio (LN)
Minister of Community Policies
(without portfolio)		 Domenico Comino 10 May 1994 – 17 January 1995 Northern League
Minister of Family and Social Solidarity
(without portfolio)		 Antonio Guidi 10 May 1994 – 17 January 1995 Forza Italia
Minister of Public Function and Regional Affairs
(without portfolio)		 Giuliano Urbani 10 May 1994 – 17 January 1995 Forza Italia
Minister of Italians in the World
(without portfolio)		 Sergio Berlinguer 10 May 1994 – 17 January 1995 Independent
Minister for Parliamentary Relations
(without portfolio)		 Giuliano Ferrara 10 May 1994 – 17 January 1995 Forza Italia
Minister for Institutional Reforms
(without portfolio)		 Francesco Speroni 10 May 1994 – 17 January 1995 Northern League
  1. Secretary of the Council of Ministers.
  2. Delegated to entertainment, tourism and sport.
  3. Delegated to the Civil Protection.
  4. Delegated to urban areas and Rome Capital.

References
  1. Montalbano, William D. (11 May 1994). "Italian Premier Forms Rightist Government". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 27 February 2013.
  2. "Elezioni della Camera dei Deputati del 27 Marzo 1994" (in Italian). Italian Chamber of Deputies. Archived from the original on 12 June 2009.
  3. De Giorgi, Elisabetta; Francesco Marangoni (2009). "The First Year of Berlusconi's Fourth Government: Formation, Characteristics and Activities". Bulletin of Italian Politics. 1 (1): 87–109.
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