Each region has an elected parliament, called Consiglio Regionale (Regional Council) or Assemblea Regionale (Regional Assembly) in Sicily, and a government called Giunta Regionale (Regional Junta), headed by the regional President. The latter is directly elected by the citizens of each region, with the exceptions of Aosta Valley and Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol, where he is chosen by the Regional Council.
According to the electoral law of 1995, the winning coalition of receives the absolute majority of the Council's seats. The President chairs the Junta, nominates and dismisses its members, called assessori. If the direct-elected President resigns, new elections are immediately called.
In Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol, the Regional Council is composed by the joint session of the two Provincial Councils of Trento and Bolzano-Bozen and the Regional President is one of the two Provincial Presidents.