Italy's revolving-door governments: The numbers behind the instability

Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni is due to set a record as leading Italy's longest-serving administration on 4 September. 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.