Undersecretary (Italy)

The Undersecretary of State (Italian: Sottosegretario di Stato), in the Italian political system, is a member of the Government of Italy with the function of assisting the minister and carrying out the tasks that have been delegated to them by the minister. The undersecretary falls into the second category of the order of offices of the Italian Republic.[1]

History

The office of Undersecretary of State was established in the Kingdom of Italy by Law No. 5195 of 12 February 1888 (the so-called "Crispi reform), replacing the Secretary General. Although it is not expressly provided for by the 1948 Constitution, the office has been appointed in all republican governments. It is regulated by Article 10 of Law No. 400 of 23 August 1988 (Regulation of Government Activity and the Organization of the Presidency of the Council of Ministers).

Undersecretaries of State are appointed by decree of the President of the Republic, upon proposal of the President of the Council of Ministers, in agreement with the minister whom the undersecretary is called to assist, after consultation with the Council of Ministers. Before assuming office, they take an oath before the President of the Council.

Without prejudice to the political responsibility and policy-making powers of ministers, no more than ten undersecretaries may be granted the title of Deputy Minister if they are entrusted with delegated powers relating to areas or projects falling within the competence of one or more departmental structures or several directorates general. In this case, the delegation, conferred by the competent minister, is approved by the Council of Ministers upon proposal of the President of the Council. Law No. 244 of 24 December 2007 (the 2008 Finance Act) provides in Article 1, paragraph 376, that, starting from the 16th legislature, the total number of members of the Government, including ministers without portfolio, deputy ministers, and undersecretaries of state, may not exceed 65. However, as this is an ordinary statute and not a constitutional provision, it may always be amended by another law or an act having the force of law.

Undersecretaries of State may be chosen from among members of Parliament, as is usually the case, or from outside it. After appointment, they may continue to sit in either chamber (or be elected to one), as no incompatibility is provided in this regard.

Functions

Undersecretaries of State assist a minister or the President of the Council and exercise the duties delegated to them by ministerial decree (or by decree of the President of the Council) published in the Official Gazette. Undersecretaries of State may attend sittings of the Chambers and parliamentary committees as representatives of the Government, take part in debates in accordance with the minister’s directives, and respond to questions and interpellations. Deputy Ministers may be invited by the President of the Council of Ministers, in agreement with the competent minister, to attend meetings of the Council of Ministers, without voting rights, in order to report on matters and issues relating to the subjects delegated to them. Undersecretaries do not participate in meetings of the Council of Ministers, except for one of the Undersecretaries to the Presidency of the Council who, in the decree of appointment, is assigned the functions of Secretary of the Council of Ministers and who, pursuant to Article 4 of Law No. 400/1988, is responsible for recording the minutes and keeping the register of deliberations.

List

Draghi government (2021 to 2022)

Meloni government (2022 to present)

References

  1. ^ "Governo Italiano - I Ministeri del Governo Renzi". 2015-11-17. Archived from the original on 17 November 2015. Retrieved 2022-04-26.
  2. ^ a b Carrer, Gabriele. "Difesa, Crosetto ha firmato le deleghe ai sottosegretari". Formiche. Retrieved 3 May 2025.


This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 unless otherwise noted. Additional terms may apply for the media files.