Majority Summits: Decision-making inside the Cabinet and out: Italy 1970-1990

This article examines two major changes which have developed in response to the weakness of the cabinet government in Italy: first, the strengthening of the prime minister through a set of new laws and informal arrangements; and second, the establishment of an extra-governmental device of cabinet decision-making: the coalition parties' Majority Summit bringing together party leaders and governmental representatives. The analysis of their number, composition, content, seat and outcome shows how these informal arenas have become highly institutionalised. Over the last twenty years, in fact, the intra-governmental co-ordination and collegiality has been replaced by an extra-governmental party bargaining managed by Majority Summits.