13.1 Outline of Italy’s legal environment

13.1.1 Italy’s constitutional structure

In the aftermath of World War II, Italian citizens were given a choice through a referendum to keep the monarchy or choose a new path by instituting a parliamentary republic. On June 2, 1946, the majority of citizens witnessed the birth of the Italian Republic. By opting for a parliamentary republic, citizens also had the duty to elect the members of the Constituent Assembly, a legislative body whose sole objective was to promulgate the Italian Republic Constitution.