List of all Prime Ministers of Italy (1861-2026)
The current Prime Minister of Italy is Giorgia Meloni, who has been holding the office since 2022. She is the first woman to become the Prime Minister of the nation.
Italy is a very attractive country whose shape resembles that of a boot. Italy is situated in the southern part of Europe. Rome is the capital city of Italy, and it is commonly referred to as the Eternal City. The population of Italy is estimated to be 59-60 million people. The official language in Italy is Italian. Did you know that Giorgia Meloni is the first female Prime Minister of Italy?
Italy has a Unitary Parliamentary Republic form of government. The country is governed by its parliament, and power is divided between two leaders: the Prime Minister and the President. In this article, we shall discuss the prime ministers of Italy between the years 1861 and 2026.
List Of Prime Ministers of Italy (1861-2026)
In Italy, the Prime Minister runs the show. Officially known as the head of the Council of Ministers, they hold the real executive power in the government.
Kingdom of Italy (1861-1946)
The office of the Italian Prime Minister began on March 23, 1861. This came after the unification of the country. Camillo Benso, the Count of Cavour, became the first holder of this office. Before becoming the Italian Prime Minister, Benso had been the Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Sardinia. The office of the Italian Prime Minister was similar to the previous one. Therefore, Camillo performed all the responsibilities of his previous office.
During this period, Italy had a monarchical government from the House of Savoy. The king would appoint the prime minister. However, this changed after dictator Benito Mussolini gained control over the government.
From 1925 to 1943, Benito held the offices of "Head of Government", "Prime Minister", and "Secretary of State". After this, he lost power. Between 1861 and 1946, thirty people became the prime ministers of the country. They formed 67 governments.
| Term of office | Party | Government | ||
| Took office | Left office | Time in office | ||
| CountCamillo Benso di Cavour (1810–1861) | 23 March, 1861 | 6 June, 1861 | 75 days | Historical Right |
| Baron Bettino Ricasoli (1809–1880) | 12 June, 1861 | 3 March, 1862 | 264 days | Historical Right |
| Urbano Rattazzi (1808–1873) | 3 March, 1862 | 8 December, 1862 | 280 days | Historical Left |
| Luigi Carlo Farini (1812–1866) | 8 December, 1862 | 24 March, 1863 | 106 days | Historical Right |
| Marco Minghetti (1818–1886) | 24 March, 1863 | 28 September, 1864 | 1 year, 188 days | Historical Right |
| GeneralAlfonso Ferrero La Marmora (1804–1878) | 28 September, 1864 | 31 December, 1865 | 1 year, 265 days | Military |
| 31 December, 1865 | 20 June, 1866 | |||
| Baron Bettino Ricasoli (1809–1880) | 20 June, 1866 | 10 April, 1867 | 294 days | Historical Right |
| Urbano Rattazzi (1808–1873) | 10 April, 1867 | 27 October, 1867 | 200 days | Historical Left |
| CountLuigi Federico Menabrea (1809–1896) | 27 October, 1867 | 5 January, 1868 | 1 year, 48 days | Historical Right |
| 5 January, 1868 | 13 May, 1869 | |||
| 13 May1869 | 14 December1869 | |||
| Giovanni Lanza (1810–1882) | 14 December, 1869 | 10 July, 1873 | 3 years, 208 days | Historical Right |
| Marco Minghetti (1818–1886) | 10 July, 1873 | 25 March, 1876 | 2 years, 259 days | Historical Right |
| Agostino Depretis (1813–1887) | 25 March, 1876 | 25 December, 1877 | 1 year, 364 days | Historical Left |
| 26 December, 1877 | 24 March, 1878 | |||
| Benedetto Cairoli (1825–1889) | 24 March, 1878 | 19 December, 1878 | 270 days | Historical Left |
| Agostino Depretis (1813–1887) | 19 December, 1878 | 14 July, 1879 | 214 days | Historical Left |
| Benedetto Cairoli (1825–1889) | 14 July, 1879 | 25 November, 1879 | 1 year, 319 days | Historical Left |
| 25 November, 1879 | 29 May, 1881 | |||
| Agostino Depretis (1813–1887) | 29 May, 1881 | 25 May, 1883 | 6 years, 61 days | Historical Left |
| 25 May, 1883 | 30 March, 1884 | |||
| 30 March., 1884 | 29 June, 1885 | |||
| 29 June, 1885 | 4 April, 1887 | |||
| 4 April, 1887 | 29 July, 1887 | |||
| Francesco Crispi (1819–1901) | 29 July, 1887 | 9 March, 1889 | 3 years, 192 days | Historical Left |
| 9 March, 1889 | 6 February, 1891 | |||
| MarquessAntonio Starabba di Rudinì (1839–1908) | 6 February, 1891 | 15 May, 1892 | 1 year, 99 days | Historical Right |
| Giovanni Giolitti (1842–1928) | 15 May, 1892 | 15 December, 1893 | 1 year, 214 days | Historical Left |
| Francesco Crispi (1819–1901) | 15 December, 1893 | 14 June, 1894 | 2 years, 86 days | Historical Left |
| 14 June, 1894 | 10 March, 1896 | |||
| MarquessAntonio Starabba di Rudinì (1839–1908) | 10 March, 1896 | 11 July, 1896 | 2 years, 111 days | Historical Right |
| 11 July, 1896 | 14 December, 1897 | |||
| 14 December, 1897 | 1 June1, 898 | |||
| 1 June, 1898 | 29 June, 1898 | |||
| GeneralLuigi Pelloux (1839–1924) | 29 June, 1898 | 14 May, 1899 | 1 year, 360 days | Military |
| 14 May, 1899 | 24 June, 1900 | |||
| Giuseppe Saracco (1821–1907) | 24 June, 1900 | 15 February, 1901 | 236 days | Historical Left |
| Giuseppe Zanardelli (1826–1903) | 15 February, 1901 | 3 November, 1903 | 2 years, 261 days | Historical Left |
| Giovanni Giolitti (1842–1928) | 3 November, 1903 | 12 March, 1905 | 1 year, 129 days | Historical Left |
| Tommaso Tittoni (1855–1931) | 12 March, 1905 | 28 March, 1905 | 16 days | Historical Right |
| Alessandro Fortis (1842–1909) | 28 March, 1905 | 24 December, 1905 | 317 days | Historical Left |
| 24 December, 1905 | 8 February, 1906 | |||
| Baron Sidney Sonnino (1847–1922) | 8 February, 1906 | 29 May, 1906 | 110 days | Historical Right |
| Giovanni Giolitti (1842–1928) | 29 May, 1906 | 11 December, 1909 | 3 years, 196 days | Historical Left |
| Baron Sidney Sonnino (1847–1922) | 11 December, 1909 | 31 March, 1910 | 110 days | Historical Right |
| Luigi Luzzatti (1841–1927) | 31 March, 1910 | 30 March, 1911 | 364 days | Historical Right |
| Giovanni Giolitti (1842–1928) | 30 March, 1911 | 21 March, 1914 | 2 years, 356 days | Liberal Union |
| Antonio Salandra (1853–1931) | 21 March, 1914 | 5 November, 1914 | 2 years, 89 days | Liberal Union |
| 5 November, 1914 | 18 June, 1916 | |||
| Paolo Boselli (1838–1932) | 18 June, 1916 | 30 October, 1917 | 1 year, 134 days | Liberal Union |
| Vittorio Emanuele Orlando (1860–1952) | 30 October, 1917 | 23 June, 1919 | 1 year, 236 days | Liberal Union |
| Francesco Saverio Nitti (1868–1953) | 23 June, 1919 | 21 May, 1920 | 358 days | Italian Radical Party |
| 21 May, 1920 | 15 June, 1920 | |||
| Giovanni Giolitti (1842–1928) | 15 June, 1920 | 4 July, 1921 | 1 year, 19 days | Liberal Union |
| Ivanoe Bonomi (1873–1951) | 4 July, 1921 | 26 February, 1922 | 237 days | Italian Reformist Socialist Party |
| Luigi Facta (1861–1930) | 26 February, 1922 | 1 August, 1922 | 247 days | Italian Liberal Party |
| 1 August, 1922 | 31 October, 1922 | |||
| Duce Benito Mussolini (1883–1945) | 31 October, 1922 | 25 July, 1943 | 20 years, 267 days | National Fascist Party |
| MarshalPietro Badoglio (1871–1956) | 25 July, 1943 | 24 April, 1944 | 329 days | Military |
| 24 April, 1944 | 18 June, 1944 | |||
| Ivanoe Bonomi (1873–1951) | 18 June, 1944 | 12 December, 1944 | 1 year, 3 days | Labour Democratic Party |
| 12 December, 1944 | 21 June, 1945 | |||
| Ferruccio Parri (1890–1981) | 21 June, 1945 | 10 December, 1945 | 172 days | Action Party |
| Alcide De Gasperi (1881–1954) | 10 December, 1945 | 13 July, 1946 | 212 days | Christian Democracy |
Italian Republic (1946-Present)
With the change in Italy's leadership, from a monarchy to a republic in 1946, things changed, too. These rules were set in Articles 92-96 of the Constitution of the Italian Republic, which was formed in 1948.
The unique feature about Alcide De Gasperi is that he is the only prime minister who worked in both the kingdom and the republic. For almost seven years, between 1945 and 1953, he led the country. In fact, he holds the record of being the longest-serving democratically elected prime minister in the country.
Now, the process to become the Italian prime minister includes:
- Appointment by the president of Italy
- Need to win confidence from the Parliament's two chambers (the Chamber of Deputies and the Senate)
Between 1946 and 2022, thirty other individuals took up the position of the president of the country. Giorgia Meloni became the first female prime minister of Italy on October 22, 2022.
| Name(Birth–Death) | Term of office | Party | ||
| Took office | Left office | Time in office | ||
| Alcide De Gasperi (1881–1954) | 13 July, 1946 | 2 February, 1947 | 7 years, 35 days | Christian Democracy |
| 2 February, 1947 | 1 June, 1947 | |||
| 1 June1947 | 24 May1948 | |||
| 24 May, 1948 | 27 January, 1950 | |||
| 27 January, 1950 | 26 July, 1951 | |||
| 26 July, 1951 | 16 July, 1953 | |||
| 16 July, 1953 | 17 August, 1953 | |||
| Giuseppe Pella (1902–1981) | 17 August, 1953 | 19 January, 1954 | 155 days | Christian Democracy |
| Amintore Fanfani (1908–1999) | 19 January, 1954 | 10 February, 1954 | 22 days | Christian Democracy |
| Mario Scelba (1901–1991) | 10 February, 1954 | 6 July, 1955 | 1 year, 146 days | Christian Democracy |
| Antonio Segni (1891–1972) | 6 July, 1955 | 20 May, 1957 | 1 year, 318 days | Christian Democracy |
| Adone Zoli (1887–1960) | 20 May, 1957 | 2 July, 1958 | 1 year, 43 days | Christian Democracy |
| Amintore Fanfani (1908–1999) | 2 July, 1958 | 16 February, 1959 | 229 days | Christian Democracy |
| Antonio Segni (1891–1972) | 16 February, 1959 | 26 March, 1960 | 1 year, 39 days | Christian Democracy |
| Fernando Tambroni(1901–1963) | 26 March, 1960 | 27 July, 1960 | 123 days | Christian Democracy |
| Amintore Fanfani (1908–1999) | 27 July, 1960 | 22 February, 1962 | 2 years, 330 days | Christian Democracy |
| 22 February, 1962 | 22 June, 1963 | |||
| Giovanni Leone(1908–2001) | 22 June, 1963 | 5 December, 1963 | 166 days | Christian Democracy |
| Aldo Moro (1916–1978) | 5 December, 1963 | 23 July, 1964 | 4 years, 203 days | Christian Democracy |
| 23 July, 1964 | 24 February, 1966 | |||
| 24 February, 1966 | 25 June, 1968 | |||
| Giovanni Leone (1908–2001) | 25 June, 1968 | 13 December, 1968 | 171 days | Christian Democracy |
| Mariano Rumour (1915–1990) | 13 December, 1968 | 6 August, 1969 | 1 year, 236 days | Christian Democracy |
| 6 August, 1969 | 28 March, 1970 | |||
| 28 March, 1970 | 6 August, 1970 | |||
| Emilio Colombo (1920–2013) | 6 August, 1970 | 18 February, 1972 | 1 year, 196 days | Christian Democracy |
| Giulio Andreotti (1919–2013) | 18 February, 1972 | 26 June, 1972 | 1 year, 140 days | Christian Democracy |
| 26 June, 1972 | 8 July, 1973 | |||
| Mariano Rumour (1915–1990) | 8 July, 1973 | 15 March, 1974 | 1 year, 138 days | Christian Democracy |
| 15 March, 1974 | 23 November, ,1974 | |||
| Aldo Moro (1916–1978) | 23 November, 1974 | 12 February, 1976 | 1 year, 250 days | Christian Democracy |
| 12 February, 1976 | 30 July, 1976 | |||
| GiuliAndreotti (1919–2013)3) | 30 July, 1976 | 13 March, 1978 | 3 years, 6 days | Christian Democracy |
| 13 March, 1978 | 21 March, 1979 | |||
| 21 March, 1979 | 5 August, 1979 | |||
| Francesco Cossiga (1928–2010) | 5 August1979 | 4 April1980 | 1 year, 74 days | Christian Democracy |
| 4 April, 1980 | 18 October, 1980 | |||
| Arnaldo Forlani (born 1925) | 18 October, 1980 | 28 June, 1981 | 253 days | Christian Democracy |
| Giovanni Spadolini (1925–1994) | 28 June, 1981 | 23 August, 1982 | 1 year, 156 days | Italian Republican Party |
| 23 August, 1982 | 1 December, 1982 | |||
| Amintore Fanfani (1908–1999) | 1 December, 1982 | 4 August, 1983 | 246 days | Christian Democracy |
| Bettino Craxi (1934–2000) | 4 August, 1983 | 1 August, 1986 | 3 years, 257 days | Italian Socialist Party |
| 1 August, 1986 | 18 April, 1987 | |||
| Amintore Fanfani (1908–1999) | 18 April, 1987 | 29 July, 1987 | 102 days | Christian Democracy |
| Giovanni Goria (1943–1994) | 29 July, 1987 | 13 April, 1988 | 259 days | Christian Democracy |
| Ciriaco De Mita (1928–2022) | 13 April, 1988 | 23 July, 1989 | 1 year, 101 days | Christian Democracy |
| Giulio Andreotti (1919–2013) | 23 July, 1989 | 13 April, 1991 | 2 years, 341 days | Christian Democracy |
| 13 April, 1991 | 28 June, 1992 | |||
| Giuliano Amato(born 1938) | 28 June, 1992 | 28 April, 1993 | 304 days | Italian Socialist Party |
| Carlo Azeglio Ciampi (1920–2016) | 28 April, 1993 | 11 May, 1994 | 1 year, 13 days | Independent |
| Silvio Berlusconi(1936–2023) | 11 May, 1994 | 17 January, 1995 | 251 days | Forza Italia |
| Lamberto Dini (born 1931) | 17 January, 1995 | 18 May, 1996 | 1 year, 122 days | Independent |
| Romano Prodi (born 1939) | 18 May, 1996 | 21 October, 1998 | 2 years, 156 days | Independent |
| Massimo D'Alema (born 1949) | 21 October, 1998 | 22 December, 1999 | 1 year, 188 days | Democrats of the Left |
| 22 December, 1999 | 26 April, 2000 | |||
| Giuliano Amato(born 1938) | 26 April, 2000 | 11 June, 2001 | 1 year, 46 days | Independent |
| Silvio Berlusconi (1936–2023) | 11 June, 2001 | 23 April, 2005 | 4 years, 340 days | Forza Italia |
| 23 April, 2005 | 17 May, 2006 | |||
| Romano Prodi (born 1939) | 17 May, 2006 | 8 May, 2008 | 1 year, 357 days | Independent /Democratic Party |
| Silvio Berlusconi (1936–2023) | 8 May, 2008 | 16 November, 2011 | 3 years, 192 days | The People of Freedom |
| Mario Monti (born 1943) | 16 November, 2011 | 28 April, 2013 | 1 year, 163 days | Independent |
| Enrico Letta (born 1966) | 28 April, 2013 | 22 February, 2014 | 300 days | Democratic Party |
| Matteo Renzi (born 1975) | 22 February, 2014 | 12 December, 2016 | 2 years, 294 days | Democratic Party |
| Paolo Gentiloni (born 1954) | 12 December, 2016 | 1 June, 2018 | 1 year, 171 days | Democratic Party |
| Giuseppe Conte (born 1964) | 1 June, 2018 | 5 September, 2019 | 2 years, 257 days | Independent |
| 5 September, 2019 | 13 February, 2021 | |||
| Mario Draghi (born 1947) | 13 February, 2021 | 22 October, 2022 | 1 year, 251 days | Independent |
| Giorgia Meloni (born 1977) | 22 October, 2022 | Incumbent | 233 days | Brothers of Italy |
Which Italian Prime Minister Served the Longest and Shortest?
Here's the table for the Italian Prime Ministers who served the longest and the shortest tenures:
| Record | Leader | Time in Office | Era |
| Longest Overall | Benito Mussolini | 21 years (1922–1943) | Fascist Dictatorship |
| Longest (Republic Era) | Silvio Berlusconi | 9+ years (between 1994–2011) | Modern Democracy |
| Shortest Overall | Tommaso Tittoni | 16 days (in 1905) | Kingdom of Italy |
| Shortest (Republic Era) | Fernando Tambroni | 123 days (in 1960) | Modern Democracy |
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