ITALIAN CONSTITUTION
76 - 90

Article 76 [Delegation of Legislative Power]
Legislative power may not be delegated to the government unless parliament specifies principles and criteria of guidance, and only for limited time and well-specified subjects.

Article 77 [Law Decrees]
(1) The government may not issue decrees with the force of law unless empowered by a proper delegation of the chambers. (2) As an exception by necessity and urgency, government may issue provisional measures with the force of law and submits them on the same day to the chambers for confirmation; if the chambers are not in session, they have to be summoned for that purpose within five days. (3) Legal decrees lose effect at the date of issue if they are not confirmed within sixty days of their publication. However, chambers may sanction rights and obligations arising out of decrees are not confirmed.

Article 78 [State of War]
Chambers are competent to declare war and assign the necessary powers to government.

Article 79 [Amnesty and Pardon]
(1) Amnesties and pardons may be granted by a law which must be adopted both article by article and in its entirety by two thirds of the members of each chamber. (2) A law granting amnesty or pardon has to establish time limits for its enforcement. (3) In no instance may amnesty or pardon be extended to offences committed after the bill has been introduced.

Article 80 [Ratification of Treaties]
Chambers ratify by law international treaties which are of political nature, provide for arbitration or judicial regulation, imply modifications of the territory, impose financial burdens, or result in modifications of the laws.

Article 81 [Budgets]
(1) For each year, chambers are voting the budget and final balance submitted by the government. (2) Temporary execution of the budget may not be granted except by law and for periods of no more than four months altogether. (3) In the budget law, no new taxes or expenditures may be adopted. (4) All other laws implying new or additional expenditures must define the means to cover them.

Article 82 [Inquiries]
(1) A chamber may start inquiries into matters of public interest. (2) It therefore appoints a committee composed of its members in proportion to the size of the groups in parliament. The committee of enquiry investigates and examines the matters carrying the same powers and limitations as the judiciary.

Title II The President of the Republic
Article 83 [Election of the President]
(1) The president is elected in joint session of parliament. (2) Three delegates from every region, elected by the regional councils in a way guaranteeing minority representation, participate in the election. The Aosta Valley is represented by one delegate. (3) Presidential elections, conducted by secret ballot, require a two-thirds majority of the assembly. After the third ballot a majority of the members is sufficient.

Article 84 [Eligibility, Incompatibility, Allowance]
(1) Any citizen over fifty years enjoying civil and political rights is eligible for president. (2) The presidency is incompatible with any other office. (3) Remunerations and endowments of the president are defined by law.

Article 85 [Presidential Term]
(1) The presidential term is seven years. (2) For the election of a new president, the speaker of the house of representatives summons parliament in joint session with regional delegates thirty days before the end of term. (3) If the parliament is dissolved within three months of end of term, the new chambers elect the president within fifteen days of their first meeting. Meanwhile, the former president continues to be in power.

Article 86 [Substitute of the President]
(1) If the president is unable to perform his duties, they are carried out by the speaker of the senate. (2) In the case of permanent inability, death, or resignation of the president, the speaker of the house of representatives calls presidential elections within fifteen days unless more time is needed because the chambers are dissolved or their term is expiring within three months.

Article 87 [Presidential Duties]
(1) The president is head of state and represents the unity of the nation. (2) The president may send messages to parliament. (3) He calls parliamentary elections and sets the date of their first meeting. (4) He authorizes the government's legislative initiatives. (5) He promulgates laws and issues decrees with the force of law as well as government regulations. (6) He call a referendum when provided for by the constitution. (7) He appoints state officials as provided by the laws. (8) He accredits and receives diplomatic representatives, ratifies international treaties once they are authorized by parliament, provided parliamentary approval is necessary. (9) He is the commander of the armed forces and chairman of the supreme defense council constituted by law; he declares war according to the decision of the parliament. (10) He chairs the superior council of the judiciary. (11) He has the power to grant pardons and commute punishments. (12) He confers the honors of the republic.

Article 88 [Dissolution of the Chambers]
(1) The president may dissolve one or both chambers after having consulted their speakers. (2) He may not exercise this power during the last six months of his term, provided this period does not coincide partly or entirely with the last six months of the term of chambers.

Article 89 [Countersignature]
(1) Acts of the president are void unless countersigned by the ministers who are responsible for and submitting it. (2) Acts with the force of law and other acts as defined by law also need to be countersigned by the prime minister.

Article 90 [Presidential Indemnity]
(1) The president may not be held responsible for exercising his duties, except for high treason and attempts to overthrow the constitution. (2) In these cases, he must be impeached by parliament in joint session by a majority of its members.

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