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Second Prodi cabinet
59th cabinet of Italy
Date formed	17 May 2006 (2006-05-17)
Date dissolved	8 May 2008 (2008-05-08) (722 days)
People and organisations
Head of state	Giorgio Napolitano
Head of government	Romano Prodi
No. of ministers	26 (Prime Minister + 25 Ministers)
Ministers removed .mw-parser-output .nobold{font-weight:normal} (Death/resignation/dismissal)	1
Total no. of ministers	27 (Prime Minister + 26 Ministers)
Member party	The Union (DS, DL, PRC, RNP, IdV, PdCI, FdV, UDEUR)
Status in legislature	Centre-left coalition
Opposition parties	House of Freedoms (FI, AN, UDC, LN)
Opposition leader	Silvio Berlusconi
History
Election(s)	2006 election
Outgoing election	2008 election
Legislature term(s)	XV Legislature (28 April 2006 – 28 April 2008)
Incoming formation	Prodi II Cabinet formation, 2006
Outgoing formation	Berlusconi IV Cabinet formation, 2008
Predecessor	Berlusconi III Cabinet
Successor	Berlusconi IV Cabinet

The Prodi II Cabinet was the cabinet of the government of Italy from 17 May 2006 to 8 May 2008, a total of 722 days, or 1 year, 11 months and 21 days. The 59th cabinet of the Italian Republic, it was the only cabinet of the XV Legislature.

It was composed of 24 ministers, 10 deputy-ministers and 66 under-secretaries, for a total of 102 members.^[1]

This was the first government of the Republic in which the Communist Refoundation Party and the Italian Radicals participated directly, and the first government supported by the entire parliamentary left wing since the De Gasperi III Cabinet in 1947.

Formation

Romano Prodi led his coalition to the electoral campaign preceding the election, eventually won by a very narrow margin of 25,000 votes, and a final majority of two seats in the Senate, on 10 April. Prodi's appointment was somewhat delayed, as the outgoing President of the Republic, Carlo Azeglio Ciampi, ended his mandate in May, not having enough time for the usual procedure (consultations made by the President, appointment of a Prime Minister, motion of confidence and oath of office). After the acrimonious election of Giorgio Napolitano to replace Ciampi, Prodi could proceed with his transition to government. On 16 May he was invited by Napolitano to form a government. The following day, 17 May 2006, Prodi and his second cabinet were sworn into office.

Romano Prodi obtained the support for his cabinet on 19 May at the Senate and on 23 May at the Chamber of Deputies. Also on 18 May, Prodi laid out some sense of his new foreign policy when he pledged to withdraw Italian troops from Iraq and called the Iraq War a "grave mistake that has not solved but increased the problem of security".^[2]

First crisis

The coalition led by Romano Prodi, thanks to the electoral law which gave the winner a sixty-seat majority, can count on a good majority in the Chamber of Deputies but only on a very narrow majority in the Senate. The composition of the coalition was heterogeneous, combining parties of communist ideology, the Party of Italian Communists and Communist Refoundation Party, within the same government as parties of Catholic inspiration, The Daisy and UDEUR. The latter was led by Clemente Mastella, former chairman of Christian Democracy. Therefore, according to critics,^{[by whom?]} it was difficult to have a single policy in different key areas, such as economics and foreign politics (for instance, Italian military presence in Afghanistan). In his earlier months as PM, Prodi had a key role in the creation of a multinational peacekeeping force in Lebanon following the 2006 Israel-Lebanon conflict.

Prodi's government faced a crisis over policies in early 2007, after just nine months of government. Three ministers in Prodi's Cabinet boycotted a vote in January to continue funding for Italian troop deployments in Afghanistan. Lawmakers approved the expansion of the US military base Caserma Ederle at the end of January, but the victory was so narrow that Deputy Prime Minister Francesco Rutelli criticised members of the coalition who had not supported the government. At around the same time, Justice Minister Clemente Mastella, of the coalition member UDEUR, said he would rather see the government fall than support its unwed couples legislation.^[3]

Tens of thousands of people marched in Vicenza against the expansion of Caserma Ederle, which saw the participation of some leading far-left members of the government.^[4] Harsh debates followed in the Italian Senate on 20 February 2007. Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Affairs Minister Massimo D'Alema declared during an official visit in Ibiza, Spain that, without a majority on foreign policy affairs, the government would resign. The following day, D'Alema gave a speech at the Senate representing the government, clarifying his foreign policy and asking the Senate to vote for or against it. In spite of the fear of many senators that Prodi's defeat would return Silvio Berlusconi to power, the Senate did not approve a motion backing Prodi's government foreign policy, two votes shy of the required majority of 160.^[5]

After a Government meeting on 21 February, Romano Prodi tendered his resignation to the President Giorgio Napolitano, who cut short an official visit to Bologna in order to receive the Prime Minister. Prodi's spokesman indicated that he would only agree to form a new Government "if, and only if, he is guaranteed the full support of all the parties in the majority from now on."^[6] On 22 February, centre-left coalition party leaders backed a non-negotiable list of twelve political conditions given by Prodi as conditions of his remaining in office. President Napolitano held talks with political leaders on 23 February to decide whether to confirm Prodi's Government, ask Prodi to form a new government or call fresh elections.^[7]

Following these talks, on 24 February, President Napolitano asked Prodi to remain in office but to submit to a vote of confidence in both houses.^[7][8] "I will seek a vote of confidence as soon as possible, with renewed impetus and a united and determined coalition," Prodi said after meeting with President Giorgio Napolitano.^[9] On 28 February, the Senate voted to grant confidence to Prodi's Government. Though facing strong opposition from the centre-right coalition, the vote resulted in a 162–157 victory.^[10] Prodi then faced a vote of confidence in the lower house on 2 March, which he won as expected with a large majority of 342–198.^[11]

On 14 October 2007, Prodi oversaw the merger of two main parties of the Italian centre-left, Democrats of the Left and The Daisy, creating the Democratic Party. Prodi himself led the merger of the two parties, which had been planned over a twelve-year period, and became the first President of the party. He announced his resignation from that post on 16 April 2008, two days after the Democratic Party's defeat in the general election.

Fall

On 24 January 2008 Prime Minister of Italy Romano Prodi lost a vote of confidence in the Senate by a vote of 161 to 156 votes, causing the downfall of his government.^[12] Prodi's resignation led President Giorgio Napolitano to request the President of the Senate, Franco Marini, to assess the possibility to form a caretaker government. The other possibility would have been to call for early elections immediately. Marini acknowledged impossibility to form an interim government due to the unavailability of the centre-right parties, and early elections were scheduled for 13 and 14 April 2008.

Investiture votes

17 May 2006 Investiture votes for Prodi II Cabinet
House of Parliament	Vote	Parties	Votes
Senate of the Republic	Y Yes	The Olive Tree (108), PRC (27), Together with the Union (11), IdV (5), SVP-PATT-ALD (4), UDEUR (3), PDM (1), Others (7)	166 / 322
	N No	FI (77), AN (41), UDC (21), LN (13), DCA (2), MpA (2)	156 / 322
Chamber of Deputies	Y Yes	The Olive Tree (218), PRC (41), IdV (20), RnP (18), PdCI (16), FdV (16), UDEUR (14), SVP-PATT-ALD (5), Others (3)	351 / 630
	N No	FI (134), AN (72), UDC (39), LN (23), DCA-NPSI (6), MpA (5)	279 / 630

Party breakdown

Beginning of term

Ministers

Ministers and other members

• 
  Independents: Prime minister, 2 ministers, 6 undersecretaries


• 
  Democrats of the Left (DS): 9 ministers, 5 deputy ministers, 23 undersecretaries


• 
  Democracy is Freedom – The Daisy (DL): 8 ministers, 3 deputy ministers, 18 undersecretaries


• 
  Communist Refoundation Party (PRC): 1 minister, 1 deputy minister, 6 undersecretaries


• 
  Rose in the Fist (RnP): 1 minister, 1 deputy minister, 3 undersecretaries


• 
  Italy of Values (IdV): 1 minister, 2 undersecretaries


• 
  Party of Italian Communists (PdCI): 1 minister, 2 undersecretaries


• 
  Federation of the Greens (FdV): 1 minister, 2 undersecretaries


• 
  Union of Democrats for Europe (UDEUR): 1 minister, 1 undersecretary


• 
  Lombard Autonomy League (LAL): 1 undersecretary


• 
  The Italian Socialists (SI): 1 undersecretary


• 
  United Democratic Christians (DCU): 1 undersecretary

End of term

Ministers

Ministers and other members

• 
  Democratic Party (PD): Prime minister, 18 ministers, 8 deputy ministers, 40 undersecretaries


• 
  Communist Refoundation Party (PRC): 1 minister, 1 deputy minister, 6 undersecretaries


• 
  Democratic Left (SD): 1 minister, 3 undersecretaries


• 
  Federation of the Greens (FdV): 1 minister, 2 undersecretaries


• 
  Italy of Values (IdV): 1 minister, 2 undersecretaries


• 
  Independents: 1 ministers, 2 undersecretaries


• 
  Independents (PdCI area): 1 minister, 1 undersecretary


• 
  Italian Radicals (RI): 1 minister


• 
  Italian Democratic Socialists (SDI): 1 deputy minister, 3 undersecretaries


• 
  Lombard Autonomy League (LAL): 1 undersecretary


• 
  The Italian Socialists (SI): 1 undersecretary


• 
  United Democratic Christians (DCU): 1 undersecretary

Composition

Beginning of term

End of term

Detailed composition

Prime Minister

Portrait	Office	Name	Term	Party
	Prime Minister	Romano Prodi	17 May 2006 – 8 May 2008	Independent

Deputy Prime Ministers

Portrait	Office	Name	Term	Party
	Deputy Prime Minister	Massimo D'Alema	17 May 2006 – 8 May 2008	Democrats of the Left
	Deputy Prime Minister	Francesco Rutelli	17 May 2006 – 8 May 2008	The Daisy

Secretary of the Council

Portrait	Office	Name	Term	Party
	Secretary of the Council of Ministers	Enrico Letta	17 May 2006 – 8 May 2008	The Daisy

Ministers without portfolio

Portrait	Office	Name	Term	Party
	Minister of Regional Affairs	Linda Lanzillotta	17 May 2006 – 8 May 2008	The Daisy
	Minister for the Implementation of the Government Program	Giulio Santagata	17 May 2006 – 8 May 2008	The Daisy
	Minister of Public Administration	Luigi Nicolais	17 May 2006 – 8 May 2008	Democrats of the Left
	Minister for Equal Opportunities	Barbara Pollastrini	17 May 2006 – 8 May 2008	Democrats of the Left
	Minister for Parliamentary Relations and Institutional Reforms	Vannino Chiti	17 May 2006 – 8 May 2008	Democrats of the Left
	Minister for Family	Rosy Bindi	17 May 2006 – 8 May 2008	The Daisy
	Minister of Youth Policies and Sport	Giovanna Melandri	17 May 2006 – 8 May 2008	Democrats of the Left

Ministers

Portrait	Office	Name	Term	Party
	Minister of Foreign Affairs	Massimo D'Alema	17 May 2006 – 8 May 2008	Democrats of the Left
	Minister of the Interior	Giuliano Amato	17 May 2006 – 8 May 2008	Independent
	Minister of Justice	Clemente Mastella	17 May 2006 – 17 January 2008	Union of Democrats for Europe
		Luigi Scotti	7 February 2008 – 8 May 2008	Independent
	Minister of Economy and Finance	Tommaso Padoa-Schioppa	17 May 2006 – 8 May 2008	Independent
	Minister of Economic Development	Pier Luigi Bersani	17 May 2006 – 8 May 2008	Democrats of the Left
	Minister of University and Research	Fabio Mussi	17 May 2006 – 8 May 2008	Democrats of the Left
	Minister of Public Education	Giuseppe Fioroni	17 May 2006 – 8 May 2008	The Daisy
	Minister of International Trade	Emma Bonino	17 May 2006 – 8 May 2008	Rose in the Fist
	Minister of European Affairs (without portfolio)
	Minister of Labour and Social Security	Cesare Damiano	17 May 2006 – 8 May 2008	Democrats of the Left
	Minister of Social Solidarity	Paolo Ferrero	17 May 2006 – 8 May 2008	Communist Refoundation Party
	Minister of Defense	Arturo Parisi	17 May 2006 – 8 May 2008	The Daisy
	Minister of Agriculture, Food and Forestry Policies	Paolo De Castro	17 May 2006 – 8 May 2008	The Daisy
	Minister of the Environment	Alfonso Pecoraro Scanio	17 May 2006 – 8 May 2008	Federation of the Greens
	Minister of Infrastructure	Antonio Di Pietro	17 May 2006 – 8 May 2008	Italy of Values
	Minister of Transport	Alessandro Bianchi	17 May 2006 – 8 May 2008	Party of Italian Communists
	Minister of Health	Livia Turco	17 May 2006 – 8 May 2008	Democrats of the Left
	Minister of Cultural Heritage and Activities	Francesco Rutelli	17 May 2006 – 8 May 2008	The Daisy
	Minister of Communications	Paolo Gentiloni	17 May 2006 – 8 May 2008	The Daisy

Sources

• Italian Government - Prodi II Cabinet

References