Can Italy's new government be considered "democratic"?

[Antonio the Sixth]

Certainly, as the parliament elected by the voters ultimately has the power.

This. And contrary to the previous one, this government didn't buy MPs' votes.

[Antonio the Sixth]

No; these parties didn't gain votes on the promise they'd install a dozen technocrats to power, with no goal other than appeasing markets. Only when they do get electoral backing (through Greece's scrapped referenda for instance) then it can be seen as democratic.

The people, however, have delegated their MPs the ability to take the measures they consider necessary during the time of their mandate.

[Antonio the Sixth]

On the understanding that they'd work towards implementing the policies, platform and ideology they stood on - not just palm it off to some unknown who doesn't in the least share those ideals.

If the voters consider their MPs have betrayed their promises, they ought not to reelect them during the next parliamentary elections. This is democracy.

[Antonio the Sixth]

On the understanding that they'd work towards implementing the policies, platform and ideology they stood on - not just palm it off to some unknown who doesn't in the least share those ideals.

If the voters consider their MPs have betrayed their promises, they ought not to reelect them during the next parliamentary elections. This is democracy.

I'd make certain to do that, but it seems like when only the Lega Nord are actually not partaking in this betrayal, it's not that easy.

IdV isn't taking part to the coalition either, and SEL (which isn't represented in parliament, but likely will in next one) is even more reticent. I guess you'd vote for one of them (and I, too, am going to vote for SEL). And anyways, everybody is free to start his own party.

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Of course I'd have a problem labelling that undemocratic, because it's not. Words do have a meaning. And no matter how much you dislike such practice, it's still democracy.

[Antonio the Sixth]

Part of the foundation of modern democracy is gaining voters on the platform on which you stand, and promising to deliver that. If parties can just completely disregard what they said they'd do, democracy's rendered a farce - a lie - and ultimately pointless, because you'd never be sure what you'd be getting.

But the point is, they can. Everybody can get elected and do the exact contrary of what he promised. And not only they can, but they do pretty often. The examples are so numerous in history that listing them would likely take several decades. It sucks, but it's still democracy.

[Antonio the Sixth]

*Which limits true democracies to USA, Latin America, half of Africa, Central Asia, Caucasus, Cyprus, Indonesia, Iran, Yemen and Belarus.

France?

France have a PM who is elected by the parliament. The French president power is more or less limited to foreign policy and war. So France is structural more or less placed in the middle between USA and Italy.

It's a tad more complicated actually. The PM is responsible before the Parliament, but appointed - and dismissed - by the President. Since the President's party is always disciplined to the Dear Leader, it means the PM is the President's tool as long as he has a parliamentary majority. In the opposite case (called "cohabitation") the PM is indeed the actual leader, but these cases are pretty rare.

[Antonio the Sixth]

Practically; it hardly matters. If politicians were in these posts, they would simply be enacting policy by picking up the phone to call the technocrats, listening obediently, and then acting. This way, things are more honest. One more layer of fluff is peeled away between who is publicly in charge and who is really in charge. Perhaps it's the brazenness of it that really disturbs. Things are no longer bothered to be hidden. But to be too pessimistic would be a mistake. The government does not trample on individual liberties, and so far it does have popular support of 60 to 70 percent of Italians, so it is a difference with little substance. The question would be, could the government survive after it loses popular support? Almost surely, this one will not.

The government is meant to become unpopular, actually. It will have to implement measures most italians oppose (or support in theory but won't once it will concretely affect their wallets). Hopefully it won't be too much, since most people are resigned to austerity and realize it's unavoidable. But still, Monti's agenda is clear : do the dirty job, get Italy out of mess (which is, considering the country's strong fundamentals, more likely than not to succeed) and then leave the charge back to politicians and let them start bickering again. There will be new elections in 2013, where Monti won't run.