151651

The Italian Republic is proclaimed

Italy was originally a monarchy. In May 1946, King Victor Emmanuel III of Italy abdicated and was succeeded by his son Umberto.

Constituent Assembly elections were held on June 2, and a referendum was held to determine the state system, with 54.3% in favor of the abolition of the monarchy. Umberto accepted the results of the referendum, left Italy and took refuge in Spain, thus ending the monarchy.

In the elections for the Constituent Assembly, the Catholic Democratic Party, the Socialist Party and the Communist Party received the most votes. On June 18 of the same year, the Italian Republic was proclaimed. In December 1947, the Italian Constituent Assembly passed the Constitution of the Republic, announcing the separation of church and state, the implementation of land reform and the nationalization of some industries; the equality of men and women was stipulated, and citizens had the right to work.

The constitution stipulates that the parliament is a bicameral system. The members of the House of Representatives are elected by universal suffrage for a term of 5 years; the senators are elected by the districts in proportion to the population for a term of 6 years; the president is elected by a joint meeting of the two houses for a term of 7 years.

In April 1948, the first Italian republic parliamentary election was held, and the Catholic Democrat Gasperi formed the cabinet.