And it’s time to elect a new one.

Via the BBC: Italy MPs vote for new president

Voting is to begin in Italy’s parliament for a new president to replace Carlo Azeglio Ciampi.

Mr Ciampi, 85, is stepping down after seven years in office.

Only when the president is elected can centre-left leader Romano Prodi – who narrowly won the elections last month – start to form his new government.

It will be a strongly contested vote because Mr Prodi and outgoing Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi cannot agree on a suitable cross-party candidate.

Of course, the reason most folks don’t know that Italy has a president, is because the job doesn’t entail much power:

Italy’s head of state – basically a figurehead – is elected by just over 1,000 Grand Electors. They are MPs from both houses and representatives of 20 local regional governments.

On balance, the Prime Minister, as head of government, is the face of Italian politics. Same deal in Germany (where the PM is called Chancellor) and Israel, amongst other places.

Usually the replacement of the Italian president would hardly be worthy of much international attention, but since it is part of the fight between the outgoing PM and government and the incoming one, it has a little political spark to it.

One Response to “Betcha Didn’t Know Italy Has a President”

1. Fruits and Votes Says:
   May 8th, 2026 at 3:49 pm

   Italian presidency vote

   As the BBC notes, the Italian president is “basically a figurehead,” which, of course, leads one to ask, why do the parties care enough to be deadlocked?

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