Ministry of Communications (Italy)

The Ministry of Communications was set up in 1924 as a government ministry of the Kingdom of Italy, dealing with postal, telephone, telegraph and electronic communications, journalistic information and commercial advertising. Since the Berlusconi IV Cabinet of 2008 it has been incorporated into the Ministry of Economic Development.

The first Ministry of Communications was established on 30 April 1924, replacing the Ministry of Posts and Telegraphs from the government of Mussolini. The first minister was Costanzo Ciano, founder of what was to become RAI (Radio-television Italia).

The ministry was divided into two distinct divisions on 12 December 1944, with a Ministry of Transport and a Ministry of Posts and Telegraphs (later renamed the Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications).

In 1992 Italy underwent a period of telecommunication reform in which the responsibility for running telecommunications passed from direct state control to private control (of state holdings). This resulted in the establishment of Telecom ItaliaS.p.A in 1994, after the reorganisation of the ministry for the second time.

The period following resulted in large upheaval of the ministry, beginning in 1997 with the Autonomous Administration of Posts and Telegraphs (an autonomous organ of the ministry) being incorporated into the Poste Italia (the Italian Post Office) as well as simultaneously being made a public entity. In the same year, the ministry was renamed to its original title, Ministry of Communications. Two years later, the ministry was incorporated into the Ministry of Productive Activities. The actual incorporation was to take place in 2001, but was stopped by the government of Silvio Berlusconi.

The ministry reached its present-day configuration after the financial crisis of 2007–2008, when the Prodi Government decided to revert to the Bassanini Reform of 1999. This was finally implemented by Berlusconi, incorporating the Ministry of Communications into the Ministry of Economic Development (present day equivalent of Ministry of Productive Activities).

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