Prodi I Cabinet

First Prodi cabinet
53rd cabinet of Italy
Date formed	17 May 1996
Date dissolved	21 October 1998 (887 days)
People and organisations
Head of government	Romano Prodi
Head of state	Oscar Luigi Scalfaro
Total number of ministers	20
Member party	Democratic Party of the Left (PDS) Italian People's Party (PPI) Italian Renewal (RI) Federation of the Greens (FdV) Democratic Union (UD)
History
Election(s)	1996 election
Outgoing election	2001 election
Legislature term(s)	9 May 1996 - 30 May 2001 (XIII)
Incoming formation	Prodi I Cabinet formation, 1996
Outgoing formation	D'Alema I Cabinet formation, 1998
Predecessor	Dini Cabinet
Successor	D'Alema I Cabinet

The Prodi I Cabinet was the cabinet of the government of Italy from 17 May 1996 to 21 October 1998.

Formation

On 21 April 1996, the Olive Tree won 1996 general election in alliance with the Communist Refoundation Party (PRC), making Romano Prodi Prime Minister of Italy. It was the first time since 1946 that the Communists, now gathered in the Democratic Party of the Left, took part in the government of the country and one of their leaders, Walter Veltroni, who ran in ticket with Prodi in a long electoral campaign, was Deputy Prime Minister.

Besides the external support of PRC, the coalition received the support also of some minor parties: the Italian Republican Party (PRI, social-liberal), The Network (social-democratic), the South Tyrolean People's Party (regionalist and Christian democratic) and some other minor parties which later merged with PDS.

The average age of the ministers was 55.9 years and 14 ministers has parliamentary experience.^[1] The number of female ministers was three.^[1]

Fall

The government fell in 1998 when the Communist Refoundation Party withdrew its support. This led to the formation of a new government led by Massimo D'Alema as Prime Minister. There are those who claim that D'Alema deliberately engineered the collapse of the Prodi government to become Prime Minister himself. As the result of a vote of no confidence in Prodi's government, D'Alema's nomination was passed by a single vote. This was the first and so far, the only occasion in the history of the Italian republic on which a vote of no confidence had ever been called; the Republic's many previous governments had been brought down by a majority "no" vote on some crucially important piece of legislation (such as the budget).

Composition

Ministers without portfolio

References

Sources

• Italian Government - Prodi I Cabinet

Cabinets of the Republic of Italy
Constituent Assembly (1946–1948)	De Gasperi II De Gasperi III De Gasperi IV
Legislature I (1948–1953)	De Gasperi V De Gasperi VI De Gasperi VII
Legislature II (1953–1958)	De Gasperi VIII Pella Fanfani I Scelba Segni I Zoli
Legislature III (1958–1963)	Fanfani II Segni II Tambroni Fanfani III Fanfani IV
Legislature IV (1963–1968)	Leone I Moro I Moro II Moro III
Legislature V (1968–1972)	Leone II Rumor I Rumor II Rumor III Colombo Andreotti I
Legislature VI (1972–1976)	Andreotti II Rumor IV Rumor V Moro IV Moro V
Legislature VII (1976–1979)	Andreotti III Andreotti IV Andreotti V
Legislature VIII (1979–1983)	Cossiga I Cossiga II Forlani Spadolini I Spadolini II Fanfani V
Legislature IX (1983–1987)	Craxi I Craxi II Fanfani VI
Legislature X (1987–1992)	Goria De Mita Andreotti VI Andreotti VII
Legislature XI (1992–1994)	Amato I Ciampi
Legislature XII (1994–1996)	Berlusconi I Dini
Legislature XIII (1996–2001)	Prodi I D'Alema I D'Alema II Amato II
Legislature XIV (2001–2006)	Berlusconi II Berlusconi III
Legislature XV (2006–2008)	Prodi II
Legislature XVI (2008–2013)	Berlusconi IV Monti
Legislature XVII (2013–0000)	Letta Renzi Gentiloni