Italy which is well known by pizza and spaghetti is located in the Italian Peninsula. This country is cradle of many cultures and politically Italy is a democratic republic and a developed country with the eighth-highest quality of life index rating in the world at once.[1] It is one of European Union founding member and having signed the Treaty of Rome in 1957, Italy also member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), G8, the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), WTO, the Council of Europe, the Western European Union, and the Central European Initiative.[2]
At the end of 2008, the Italian population surpassed 60 million and become the fourth-largest population in the European Union and the 23rd-largest population worldwide.[3] After World War II, Italy enjoyed a prolonged economic boom which caused a major rural exodus to the cities, and at the same time transformed the nation from a massive emigration country to a net immigrant-receiving country.[4] High fertility persisted until the 1970s, when it plunged below the replacement rates, so that as of 2008, one in five Italians was over 65 years old. Fortunately, the massive immigration of the last two decades, in the 2000s the total fertility rate also significantly grew in the past few years.
Republic system of Italy has own long history. It became republic after referendum held on 2 June 1946. The Republican Constitution was approved and came into force on 1 January 1948.[5] Under the Paris Peace Treaties of 1947, the eastern border area was lost toYugoslavia, and, later, the free territory of Trieste was divided between the two states. Fears in the Italian electorate of a possible Communist take over proved crucial for the first universal suffrage electoral outcome on the 18th of April 1948 when the Christian Democrats, under the leadership of Alcide De Gasperi, won the election with 48 percent of the vote.[6] In the 1950s Italy became a member of NATO and allied itself with the United States. The Marshall Plan helped revive the Italian economy which, until the 1960s, enjoyed a period of sustained economic growth commonly called the "Economic Miracle".[7] In 1957, Italy was a founder member of the European Economic Community (EEC), which became the European Union (EU) in 1993.[8]
From 1960 to 2009, Italy ever faced decline of political culture. Italy, which has chief of state and prime minister as executive branch, bicameral parliament system as legislative branch, and Constitutional Court as judicial branch, loss people’s politic and social trust because of they had little confidence in the efficiency and integrity of institutions and officials. Italians also tend to seek protection from informal group as influence of their distrust but they have good sense of national identity after two world wars and German occupation.[9] Generally root of this problems are decline of Catholic tradition and strength because communism influence, many demonstrations and leader initiations as influence of early democracy implementation and corruption scandal in the government. When clean hands operation is conducted, many political elite, former prime minister, and thousands businessmen is involved.
Even though political crisis of Italy is going on until now, but the most important thing of political culture is heterogeneity and fragmentation of subcultures, like diversity of mass and elite, northern and southern, liberal, clerical or Marxist- which have helped shape and determined Italy’s party system until now.[10]
From many leader commutation, Silvio Berlusconi is sensational and lucky minister because he has elected three times even though often make scandals and tell controversial statements. [11] In 2001, national elections led to the victory of a centre-right coalition under the leadership of Silvio Berlusconi, who became prime minister once again. Mr. Berlusconi was able to remain in power for a complete five-year mandate, but with two different governments. The first one (2001–2005) became the longest-lived government in post-war Italy. Under that government, Italy joined the US-led military coalition in Iraq. The elections in 2006 were won by the centre-left, allowing Prodi to form his second government, but in early 2008 he resigned after losing a confidence vote in Parliament. Mr. Berlusconi won the ensuing elections in April 2008 to form a government for a third time.
During Berlusconi’s government, Italian position in European Union (EU) is not strategic because bad profile of Berlusconi which can not solve Italian internal political problem like garbage processing and political reformation which is stopped for sixty years. Berlusconi ever also insult Germanian leader when Italy become presidency of EU and skeptic to euro which become single and common currency, whereas Italy is one of six countries which signed of Paris treaty which manage of European union integration. Berlusconi precisely close with United States (US) than France and Germany which have became old allied.[12] Unfortunately, Berlusconi’s foreign policy is not supported by his foreign minister which finally resign because ever under estimated which concerned about Berlusconi’s rejection of extradition treaty in whole of Europe and airbus military defence project as common defence policy.[13]
From the description above, The writer can make conclusion that Italy has to make political and cultural reformation, because learning from history and nowadays reality point out that Italy undergoes political social distrust from their society and it is dangerous for Italian internal condition to settled survive in globalization dynamic competition without regionalism support, I mean EU. So that Berlusconi must adjust himself and be wise leader if he still want to be supported by his fanatic supporter and his allied.
Acknowledgement
Artikel ”kemandegan” reformasi Italia diakses melalui http://www.kompas.com pada 3 Oktober 2009
Artikel The context of Italian Politics
The Economist. 2005. The Economist Intelligence Unit’s quality-of-life index
[3] Ibid. cia
[4] Op cit. cia
[5] Op cit cia
[6] Artikel The context of Italian Politics
[7] Ibid. The context of Italian Politics
[8] Hine, David. Italy
[9] Op cit The context of Italian Politics
[10] Op cit The context of Italian Politics
[11] Artikel ”kemandegan” reformasi Italia diakses melalui http://www.kompas.com pada 3 Oktober 2009
[12] Ibid kompas
[13] Op cit Kompas
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