Berlusconi I Cabinet

The Berlusconi I Cabinet was the 51st cabinet of the Italian Republic.

Berlusconi I Cabinet

51st Cabinet of Italy
Date formed10 May 1994 (1994-05-10)
Date dissolved17 January 1995 (1995-01-17) (253 days)
People and organisations
Head of stateOscar Luigi Scalfaro
Head of governmentSilvio Berlusconi
Deputy head of governmentRoberto Maroni
Giuseppe Tatarella
No. of ministers26 (incl. Prime Minister)
Member partiesFI, AN, LN, CCD, UdC, FLD
Status in legislatureCentre-right coalition
Opposition partiesPDS, PPI, PRC, Patto, FdV, AD, PSI, Rete
History
Election(s)1994 election
Legislature term(s)XII Legislature (1994–1996)
PredecessorCiampi Cabinet
SuccessorDini Cabinet

It was the first right-wing and non-Christian Democrats government since World War II.[1]

Berlusconi resigned on 22 December 1994.

History

In order to win the March 1994 general election Berlusconi formed two electoral alliances: Pole of Freedoms with the Northern League in northern Italian districts, and another, the Pole of Good Government, with the post-fascist National Alliance (heir to the Italian Social Movement) in central and southern regions. He did not ally with the latter in the North because the League disliked them. As a result, Forza Italia was allied with two parties that were not allied with each other.

Berlusconi launched a massive campaign of electoral advertisements on his three TV networks. He subsequently won the elections, with Forza Italia garnering 21% of the popular vote, the highest percentage of any single party.[2] One of the most significant promises that he made in order to secure victory was that his government would create "one million more jobs". He was appointed Prime Minister in 1994, but his term in office was short because of the inherent contradictions in his coalition: the League, a regional party with a strong electoral base in northern Italy, was at that time fluctuating between federalist and separatist positions, and National Alliance was a nationalist party that had yet to renounce neo-fascism at the time. In December 1994, following the communication of a new investigation from Milan magistrates that was leaked to the press, Umberto Bossi, leader of the Northern League, left the coalition claiming that the electoral pact had not been respected, forcing Berlusconi to resign from office and shifting the majority's weight to the centre-left side. The Northern League also resented the fact that many of its MPs had switched to Forza Italia, allegedly lured by promises of more prestigious portfolios. In 1998 various articles attacking Berlusconi were published by Northern League's official newspaper (La Padania), with titles such as ""Fininvest (Berlusconi's principal company) was founded by Cosa Nostra".

Berlusconi remained prime minister for a little over a month until his replacement by a technocratic government headed by Lamberto Dini. Dini had been a key minister in the Berlusconi cabinet, and Berlusconi said the only way he would support a technocratic government would be if Dini headed it. In the end, however, Dini was only supported by most opposition parties but not by Forza Italia.

Investiture vote

18–20 May 1994
Investiture votes for the Berlusconi I Cabinet
House of Parliament Vote Parties Votes
Senate of the Republic Y YesLN, AN, FI, CCD, Others
159 / 314
N NoPDS, PPI, PRC, FdV-Rete, PSI, SVP
153 / 314
AbstentionOthers
2 / 314
Chamber of Deputies Y YesLN, FI, AN, CCD
366 / 611
N NoPDS, PRC, PPI (33), AD, PSI, Patto, SVP-UV, Others
245 / 611
AbstentionNone
0 / 611

Party breakdown

Composition of the Government

Portrait Office Name Term Party Undersecretaries
Prime Minister
Silvio Berlusconi
10 May 1994 – 17 January 1995
Forza Italia
Gianni Letta (Ind.)[lower-alpha 1]
Ombretta Fumagalli Carulli (CCD)[lower-alpha 2]
Luigi Grillo (FLD)[lower-alpha 3]
Deputy Prime Minister
Giuseppe Tatarella
10 May 1994 – 17 January 1995
National Alliance
Deputy Prime Minister
Roberto Maroni
10 May 1994 – 17 January 1995
Northern League
Minister of Foreign Affairs
Antonio Martino
10 May 1994 – 17 January 1995
Forza Italia
Livio Caputo (FI)
Franco Rocchetta (LN)
Vincenzo Trantino (AN)
Minister of the Interior
Roberto Maroni
10 May 1994 – 17 January 1995
Northern League
Maurizio Gasparri (AN)
Marianna Li Calzi (FI)
Domenico Lo Jucco (FI)
Minister of Grace and Justice
Alfredo Biondi
10 May 1994 – 17 January 1995
Union of the Centre
Gian Franco Anedda (AN)
Mario Borghezio (LN)
Domenico Contestabile (FI)
Minister of Budget and Economic Planning
Giancarlo Pagliarini
10 May 1994 – 17 January 1995
Northern League
Ilario Floresta (FI)
Antonio Parlato (AN)
Minister of Finance
Giulio Tremonti
10 May 1994 – 17 January 1995
Liberal Democratic Foundation
Roberto Asquini (LN)
Filippo Berselli (AN)
Sandro Trevisanato (FI)
Minister of Treasury
Lamberto Dini
10 May 1994 – 17 January 1995
Independent
Marisa Bedoni (LN)
Salvatore Cicu (FI)
Giovanni Mongiello (CCD)
Antonio Rastrelli (AN)
Minister of Defense
Cesare Previti
10 May 1994 – 17 January 1995
Forza Italia
Guido Lo Porto (AN)
Mauro Polli (LN)
Minister of Public Education
Francesco D'Onofrio
10 May 1994 – 17 January 1995
Christian Democratic Centre
Fortunato Aloi (AN)
Mariella Mazzetto (LN)
Minister of Public Works
Roberto Maria Radice
10 May 1994 – 17 January 1995
Forza Italia
Stefano Aimone Prina (LN)
Domenico Nania (AN)
Minister of Agricultural, Food and Forestry Resources
Adriana Poli Bortone
10 May 1994 – 17 January 1995
National Alliance
Paolo Scarpa Bonazza Buora (FI)
Minister of Transport and Navigation
Publio Fiori
10 May 1994 – 17 January 1995
National Alliance
Sergio Cappelli (LN)
Gianfranco Micciché (FI)
Minister of Post and Telecommunications
Giuseppe Tatarella
10 May 1994 – 17 January 1995
National Alliance
Antonio Marano (LN)
Minister of Industry, Commerce and Craftsmanship
Vito Gnutti
10 May 1994 – 17 January 1995
Northern League
Giampiero Beccaria (FI)
Francesco Pontone (AN)
Minister of Health
Raffaele Costa
10 May 1994 – 17 January 1995
Union of the Centre
Giulio Conti (AN)
Giuseppe Nisticò (FI)
Minister of Foreign Trade
Giorgio Bernini
10 May 1994 – 17 January 1995
Forza Italia
Minister of Labour and Social Security
Clemente Mastella
10 May 1994 – 17 January 1995
Christian Democratic Centre
Carmelo Porcu (AN)
Adriano Teso (FI)
Minister of Cultural and Environmental Heritage
Domenico Fisichella
10 May 1994 – 17 January 1995
National Alliance
Minister of the Environment
Altero Matteoli
10 May 1994 – 17 January 1995
National Alliance
Roberto Lasagna (FI)
Minister of University, Scientific and Technological Research
Stefano Podestà
10 May 1994 – 17 January 1995
Forza Italia
Giovanni Meo Zilio (LN)
Minister of Community Policies
(without portfolio)
Domenico Comino
10 May 1994 – 17 January 1995
Northern League
Minister of Family and Social Solidarity
(without portfolio)
Antonio Guidi
10 May 1994 – 17 January 1995
Forza Italia
Minister of Public Function and Regional Affairs
(without portfolio)
Giuliano Urbani
10 May 1994 – 17 January 1995
Forza Italia
Minister of Italians in the World
(without portfolio)
Sergio Berlinguer
10 May 1994 – 17 January 1995
Independent
Minister for Parliamentary Relations
(without portfolio)
Giuliano Ferrara
10 May 1994 – 17 January 1995
Forza Italia
Minister for Institutional Reforms
(without portfolio)
Francesco Speroni
10 May 1994 – 17 January 1995
Northern League
Secretary of the Council of Ministers
Gianni Letta
10 May 1994 – 17 January 1995
Independent
  1. With delegation to entertainment, tourism and sport.
  2. With delegation to the Civil Protection.
  3. With delegation to urban areas and Rome Capital.

References

  1. Montalbano, William D. (11 May 1994). "Italian Premier Forms Rightist Government". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 27 February 2013.
  2. "Elezioni della Camera dei Deputati del 27 Marzo 1994" (in Italian). Italian Chamber of Deputies. Archived from the original on 12 June 2009.
  3. De Giorgi, Elisabetta; Francesco Marangoni (2009). "The First Year of Berlusconi's Fourth Government: Formation, Characteristics and Activities". Bulletin of Italian Politics. 1 (1): 87–109.
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