Prodi II Cabinet
| Second Prodi cabinet | |
|---|---|
 59th cabinet of Italy |
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| Date formed | 17 May 2006 |
| Date dissolved | 8 May 2008 (722 days) |
| People and organisations | |
| Head of government | Romano Prodi |
| Head of state | Giorgio Napolitano |
| Total no. of ministers | 26 |
| Member party | The Union's parties |
| History | |
| Election(s) | 2006 election |
| Outgoing election | 2008 election |
| Legislature term(s) | 28 April 2006 – 28 April 2008 (XV) |
| Incoming formation | Prodi II Cabinet formation, 2006 |
| Outgoing formation | Berlusconi IV Cabinet formation, 2008 |
| Predecessor | Berlusconi III Cabinet |
| Successor | Berlusconi IV Cabinet |
The Prodi II Cabinet was the cabinet of the government of Italy from 17 May 2006 to 8 May 2008, a total of 722 days, or 1 year, 11 months and 21 days. The 59th cabinet of the Italian Republic, it was the only cabinet of the XV Legislature.
It was composed of 26 ministers, 10 deputy-ministers and 66 under-secretaries, for a total of 102 members.
This was the first government of the Republic in which the Communist Refoundation Party and the Italian Radicals participated directly, and the first government supported by the entire parliamentary left wing since the De Gasperi III Cabinet in 1947.
Romano Prodi led his coalition to the electoral campaign preceding the election, eventually won by a very narrow margin of 25,000 votes, and a final majority of two seats in the Senate, on 10 April. Prodi's appointment was somewhat delayed, as the outgoing President of the Republic, Carlo Azeglio Ciampi, ended his mandate in May, not having enough time for the usual procedure (consultations made by the President, appointment of a Prime Minister, motion of confidence and oath of office). After the acrimonious election of Giorgio Napolitano to replace Ciampi, Prodi could proceed with his transition to government. On 16 May he was invited by Napolitano to form a government. The following day, 17 May 2006, Prodi and his second cabinet were sworn into office.
Romano Prodi obtained the support for his cabinet on 19 May at the Senate and on 23 May at the Chamber of Deputies. Also on 18 May, Prodi laid out some sense of his new foreign policy when he pledged to withdraw Italian troops from Iraq and called the Iraq war a "grave mistake that has not solved but increased the problem of security".
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Wikipedia