The Legislature II of Italy () was the 2nd legislature of the Italian Republic, and lasted from 25 June 1953 until 11 June 1958. Its composition was the one resulting from the general election of 7 June 1953.

Main chronology The election was characterized by changes in the electoral law. Even if the general structure remained uncorrupted, the government introduced a superbonus of two thirds of seats in the Chamber of Deputies for the coalition which would obtain at-large the absolute majority of votes. The change was hugely opposed by the opposition parties as well as the smaller DC coalition partners, which had no realistic chances of success. The new law was called Scam Law by its detractors, including some dissidents of minor government parties who founded special opposition groups to deny the artificial landslide to the DC.

The complaint campaign of the oppositions against the Scam Law reached its goal. The Centrist coalition (DC, PSDI, PLI, PRI) won 49.9% of the national vote, coming just a few thousand votes short of the threshold for a two-thirds majority. Instead, the election resulted in an ordinary proportional distribution of the seats. Minor dissident parties resulted determinant for the final result, especially the short-lived National Democratic Alliance (ADN). Technically, the government won the election, with a clear working majority of seats in both houses. But frustration at the failure to garner the expected supermajority caused big problems for the leading coalition. De Gasperi was forced to resign and the legislature continued with many weak governments, with minor parties refusing institutional responsibilities. Because of the extreme governmental instability and the consequent absence of considerable reforms proposed by the government, the legislature was later defined by some historians "the lost legislature".

After De Gasperi lost the support of the Parliament, Giuseppe Pella rose to power, but fell after five months only, following strong disputes about the status of the Free Territory of Trieste which Pella was claiming. Amintore Fanfani not receiving a vote of confidence, Mario Scelba and Antonio Segni followed with more traditional centrist coalitions supported by PSDI and PLI: under the administration of the first one, the problem of Trieste was closed ceding Koper to Yugoslavia. The parliamentary term was closed by the minority government chaired by Adone Zoli, finishing a legislature which hugely weakened the office of the Prime Minister, held by six different rulers. Zoli himself governed for more than one year as a care-taker Prime Minister, after having resigned when the neo-fascist MSI resulted decisive in the government's investiture confidence vote. Zoli remained in office after being invited by President Gronchi to govern until the natural dissolution of the legislature in 1958.

Presidential election On 28 April 1955 the Parliament met to elect the second President of Italy. On 29 April 1955 the President of the Chamber of Deputies Giovanni Gronchi was elected on the fourth ballot with 658 votes out of 843.

Government Prime MinisterParty Term of office GovernmentComposition Took office Left office Alcide De Gasperi Christian Democracy 16 July 1953 17 August 1953De Gasperi VIIIDC Giuseppe Pella Christian Democracy 17 August 1953 18 January 1954PellaDC Amintore Fanfani Christian Democracy 18 January 1954 10 February 1954Fanfani IDC Mario Scelba Christian Democracy 10 February 1954 6 July 1955ScelbaDC PLI PSDI Antonio Segni Christian Democracy 6 July 1955 19 May 1957Segni IDC PLI PSDI Adone Zoli Christian Democracy 19 May 1957 1 July 1958ZoliDC

De Gasperi VIII Cabinet 28 July 1953Investiture votes for De Gasperi VIII CabinetHouse of ParliamentVotePartiesVotesChamber of Deputies Yes DC No PCI, PSI, PRI, MSI, PNM No confidence granted.

Pella Cabinet 22–24 August 1953Investiture votes for Pella CabinetHouse of ParliamentVotePartiesVotesSenate of the Republic Yes DC, PNM, PLI, SVP No PCI, PSI Abstention MSI, PSDI Chamber of Deputies Yes DC, PNM, PLI, SVP No PCI, PSI, PLI, MSI, PRI

Fanfani I Cabinet 30 January 1954Investiture votes for Fanfani I CabinetHouse of ParliamentVotePartiesVotesChamber of Deputies Yes DC No PCI, PSI, PRI, MSI, PNM, PLI, PSDI No confidence granted.

Scelba Cabinet 26 February–10 March 1954Investiture votes for Scelba CabinetHouse of ParliamentVotePartiesVotesSenate of the Republic Yes DC, PLI, PSDI, SVP No PCI, PSI, PNM, MSI Abstention Others Chamber of Deputies Yes DC, PLI, PRI, PSDI, SVP No PCI, PSI, PNM, MSI

Segni I Cabinet 18–22 July 1955Investiture votes for Segni CabinetHouse of ParliamentVotePartiesVotesChamber of Deputies Yes DC, PLI, PRI, PSDI, SVP No PCI, PSI, PNM, MSI Senate of the Republic Yes DC, PLI, PSDI, SVP No PCI, PSI, PNM, MSI Abstention Others

Zoli Cabinet 4–7 June 1957Investiture votes for Zoli CabinetHouse of ParliamentVotePartiesVotesSenate of the Republic Yes DC, PNM, MSI No PCI, PSI, PLI, PSDI Abstention Others Chamber of Deputies Yes DC, PNM, MSI No PCI, PSI, PLI, PSDI

Parliamentary composition Chamber of Deputies

President: Giovanni Gronchi (DC), elected on 25 June 1953 and resigned on 29 April 1955; Giovanni Leone (DC), elected on 10 May 1955. Vice Presidents: Giovanni Leone (DC, until 10 May 1955), Gaetano Martino (PLI, until 10 February 1954), Cino Macrelli (Ind, from 5 March 1954), Edoardo D'Onofrio (PCI), Ferdinando Targetti (PSI), Giuseppe Rapelli (DC, from 27 September 1955)

+Initial composition(25 June 1953)Final composition(11 June 1958)Parliamentary groupSeatsParliamentary groupSeatsChange Christian Democracy 263 Christian Democracy 260 3 Italian Communist Party 143 Italian Communist Party 142 1 Italian Socialist Party 75 Italian Socialist Party 75 Monarchist National Party 40 Monarchist National Party 22 1 People's Monarchist Party 17 Italian Social Movement 29 Italian Social Movement 23 6 Italian Democratic Socialist Party 19 Italian Democratic Socialist Party 18 1 Italian Liberal Party 13 Italian Liberal Party 14 1 Mixed 8 Mixed 19 11 Italian Republican Party 5 Italian Republican Party 5 Südtiroler Volkspartei3 Südtiroler Volkspartei3 Independents – Non inscrits11 11Total seats 590Total seats 590

Senate of the Republic

President: Cesare Merzagora (Ind), elected on 25 June 1953 Vice Presidents: Michele De Pietro (DC, until 17 January 1954 and then from 4 July 1957), Giorgio Bo (DC, until 18 May 1957), Mauro Scoccimarro (PCI), Enrico Molé (PSDI), Mario Cingolani (DC, from 24 February 1954)

+Initial composition(25 June 1953)Final composition(11 June 1958)Parliamentary groupSeatsParliamentary groupSeatsChange Christian Democracy 112 Christian Democracy 110 2 Italian Communist Party 52 Italian Communist Party 49 3 Italian Socialist Party 26 Italian Socialist Party 27 1 Monarchist National Party 14 Monarchist National Party 15 1 Italian Social Movement 9 Italian Social Movement 9 Social Democratic–Liberal 8 Social Democratic–Liberal 10 2 Mixed 15 Mixed 16 1 Südtiroler Volkspartei2 Südtiroler Volkspartei2 Independents – Non inscrits13 Independents – Non inscrits14 1Total seats 237Total seats 237

Senators for Life Senator Motivation Appointed by From TillEnrico De NicolaFormer President of Italy ex officioPietro CanonicaMerits in the artistic fieldPresident Luigi EinaudiGaetano De SanctisMerits in the social and literary field President Luigi Einaudi9 April 1957 (deceased)Pasquale JannacconeMerits in the social fieldPresident Luigi EinaudiLuigi SturzoMerits in the social fieldPresident Luigi EinaudiUmberto Zanotti BiancoMerits in the artistic and social fieldPresident Luigi EinaudiLuigi EinaudiFormer President of Italy ex officio11 May 1955Giuseppe ParatoreMerits in the social fieldPresident Giovanni Gronchi9 November 1957

References