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Italy

Monthly Event Reports

December 2023 | Chamber of Deputies votes controversial amendment deemed as “gag law”
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The Chamber of Deputies (lower house of parliament) approved an amendment banning “full or extract publication of the text of the precautionary custody order until the conclusion of the preliminary investigation or until the end of the preliminary hearing.” The amendment, backed by right-wing parties and centrists from Azione, gives the government the power to change Article 114 of the Criminal Procedure Code. As a next step, approval from the Senate (upper house of parliament) is required for the amendment to go into effect. According to Enrico Costa (centrist opposition party Azione), who has proposed the amendment, the media can summarize and report about the content of precautionary custody orders, but they cannot publish the procedural document verbatim, especially if it contains wiretaps and unverified information. Legal experts noted the uncertainty lies in the term "extract" since it can refer to either a fraction or a summary. Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni links the amendment to the European Directive on the presumption of innocence. Journalists have protested against what they call the “gag law.” Regional journalists' association presidents and the European Federation of Journalists have labelled it a threat to the public's right to be informed.

November 2023 | Government approves new security package
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The Italian Council of Ministers approved a security package containing a raft of public order and national security measures. The bill includes greater protection for law enforcement, and increases penalties for violence or threats against police. The package also grants law enforcement officers with authorization to carry service weapons to own firearms privately without any additional license. In addition, the measures would criminalize “possession of material for the purpose of terrorism”, punishable by up to six years in prison, and the distribution of instructions for making explosives to attack public safety, which carries a maximum sentence of four years. Finally, the bill makes road blocking an administrative offence, a disruption tactic commonly used by environmental activists. The bill will be sent to Parliament for a vote as a next step.

July 2023 | State Prosecutor removes same-sex parents from birth certificates

The state prosecutor in Padua ordered the removal of non-gestational mothers from the birth certificates of 33 children to lesbian couples. The order is retroactive, applying to parents who, since 2017, have had children abroad via surrogacy and have registered them in Padua. The ‘unofficial’ parent, now a legal stranger to the child, needs the authorisation of the legal parent to pick up the child from school, make medical decisions on its behalf and has no influence on the child’s future if the legal parent were to pass away. The decision leaves hundreds of families in legal limbo and according to Human Rights Watch affects the right to create a family, enshrined in multiple international legal frameworks ratified by Italy. Such retroactive orders are feared to spread to other regions of Italy, as part of a wider trend of restricting same-sex couples rights led by Giorgia Meloni’s government. A court is expected to rule on the decision in autumn.

May 2023 | New law curtails rights of migrants

The Italian government passed a new law to combat irregular migration, restricting the rights of migrants to seek special protection, access fair asylum procedures, and enjoy freedom of movement.  Analysts flagged that the decree is not effective in addressing human trafficking as intended and that it harms migrants already living in Italy. Human Rights Watch has said the authorities introduced the legislative changes through an emergency decree measure and by restricting parliamentary oversight. Rights organizations in Italy also expressed their concern over the authorities’ use of extraordinary measures and the declaration of a state of emergency in April to address enduring and systemic challenges such as migration.

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GSoD Indices Data 2013-2022

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Basic Information

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Population Tooltip
59 066 220
System of government
Parliamentary system
Head of government
Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni (since 2022)
Head of government party
Brothers of Italy
Electoral system for lower or single chamber
Parallel
Women in lower or single chamber
32.3%
Women in upper chamber
34.5%
Last legislative election
2022
Effective number of political parties Tooltip
3.42
Head of state
President Sergio Mattarella
Selection process for head of state
Indirect election (assembly + regional/local representatives)
Latest Universal Periodic Review (UPR) date
04/11/2019
Latest Universal Periodic Review (UPR) percentage of recommendations supported
95.42%
Population Tooltip
59 066 220
System of government
Parliamentary system
Head of government
Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni (since 2022)
Head of government party
Brothers of Italy
Electoral system for lower or single chamber
Parallel
Women in lower or single chamber
32.3%
Women in upper chamber
34.5%
Last legislative election
2022
Effective number of political parties Tooltip
3.42
Head of state
President Sergio Mattarella
Selection process for head of state
Indirect election (assembly + regional/local representatives)
Latest Universal Periodic Review (UPR) date
04/11/2019
Latest Universal Periodic Review (UPR) percentage of recommendations supported
95.42%
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Human Rights Treaties

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State Party State party
Signatory Signatory
No Action No action
United Nations Human Right Treaties
International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights
State Party
International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights
State Party
International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination
State Party
Convention on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women
State Party
Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman and Degrading Treatment or Punishment
State Party
Convention on the Rights of the Child
State Party
International Convention on Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families
No Action
International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance 
State Party
International Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities
State Party
International Labour Organisation Treaties
Forced Labour Convention
State Party
Freedom of Association and Protection of the Right to Organise Convention
State Party
Right to Organise and Collective Bargaining Convention
State Party
Equal Remuneration Convention
State Party
Abolition of Forced Labour Convention
State Party
Discrimination (Employment and Occupation) Convention
State Party
Convention concerning Minimum Age for Admission to Employment
State Party
Worst Forms of Child Labour Convention
State Party
Regional Treaties
Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms
State Party
Protocol to the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms
State Party
Protocol No. 4 to the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms
State Party
Protocol No. 6 to the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms
State Party
Protocol No. 7 to the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms
State Party
Protocol No. 12 to the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms
Signatory
Protocol No. 13 to the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms
State Party
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Performance by category over the last 6 months

Representation neutral Representation
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Representation neutral Rights
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Representation neutral Rule of law
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Representation neutral Participation
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Global State of Democracy Indices

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Explore the indices
Representation
Representation
0
/1
high 0.7-1.0
mid 0.4-0.7
low 0.0-0.4
Rights
Rights
0
/1
high 0.7-1.0
mid 0.4-0.7
low 0.0-0.4
Rule of Law
Rule of Law
0
/1
high 0.7-1.0
mid 0.4-0.7
low 0.0-0.4
Participation
Participation
0
/1
high 0.7-1.0
mid 0.4-0.7
low 0.0-0.4
Annual value

Factors of Democratic Performance Over Time

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