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Political fragmentation is to blame. But the reasons for it are unclear.
ITALY’S PRIME MINISTER, Giuseppe Conte, tendered his resignation on January 26th after losing the support of a junior coalition partner led by one of his predecessors, Matteo Renzi. Convoluted negotiations to form a new government are under way. Whatever the outcome, Italy will have its 69th government since the end of the second world war—on average, one every 13 months. Why does Italy have so many short-lived governments?
The turnover is actually more apparent than real. Since it is not the prime minister but Italy’s president who formally appoints ministers, the head of government normally has to resign to reshuffle his cabinet or coalition (there has never been a woman prime minister). Thus, Silvio Berlusconi was in office continually from 2001 to 2006. But in 2005 he changed around his ministers, so technically he had two governments in succession. Apply the...