Giorgio Napolitano
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This article is about the Italian politician. For updates specifically concerning Napolitano's election as President of the Italian Republic you might want to consider the President of the Italian Republic election, 2006 article. |
Giorgio Napolitano | |
|---|---|
| File:Giorgio Napolitano (EP, 5th term).jpg | |
| Assumed office President-elect Mandate likely to start May 15 2006 | |
| Preceded by | Carlo Azeglio Ciampi |
| Personal details | |
| Born | June 29 1925 Naples |
| Political party | Democrats of the Left |
| Spouse | Clio Bittoni |
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Giorgio Napolitano (born June 29 1925 in Naples), an Italian politician and lifetime senator, is the president-elect of the Italian Republic. He was elected as the eleventh President of the Italian Republic on May 10 2006.
Biography
In 1942 Napolitano founded an anti-fascist, communist group which after the armistice took part in several resistance actions against Nazi and pro-Mussolini forces.
In 1945, after the end of World War II, Napolitano joined the Italian Communist Party. In 1947 he graduated with a degree in law at the University of Naples. He was first elected to the Chamber of Deputies in 1953. Subsequently, Napolitano was elected to the National Committee of the party, and became responsible of the Commission for Southern Italy, and later secretary of federation in Naples and Caserta.
Close to the party's wing led by Giorgio Amendola, who advocated an "Italian way to socialism", gradually Napolitano became one of the most influential leaders of the PCI. Between 1966 and 1969 he was coordinator of the secretary's office and of the political office. During the '70s and the '80s he was the responsible at first for culture and later for the economic policy and the international relations of the party. His political ideas were somewhat moderate in the context of the party. Napolitano, leader of the so-called "meliorist wing" (corrente migliorista), was more in favour of social democracy and collaboration with the Italian Socialist Party.
After the dissolution of the Italian Communist Party, in 1991, Napolitano joined the Democratic Party of the Left, later Democrats of the Left. Successively, he served as President of the Chamber of Deputies (1992–1994) and Minister of the Interior (1996–1998). He also served as a Member of the European Parliament from 1999 to 2004. In October, 2005, he was named by President of the Republic Carlo Azeglio Ciampi as a life Senator.
2006 election
In 2006, his name was frequently suggested for the office of President of the Italian Republic. Napolitano was the second proposal of the centre-left majority coalition, The Union, in place of Massimo D'Alema, after the chance of a joint vote on D'Alema had been rejected by leaders of the centre-right coalition The House of Freedoms. Even though Napolitano appeared at first a candidate the House of Freedoms could converge on, the proposal was rejected much like that of D'Alema.
The centre-left majority coalition, on May 7, 2006, officially endorsed Giorgio Napolitano as its candidate in the special election that began on May 8. The Vatican endorsed him as President through its official newspaper, L'Osservatore Romano, just after the Union named him as its candidate, as did Marco Follini, former secretary of the UDC, the right-leaning christian party, member of the House of Freedoms.
Napolitano was elected on May 10 at the fourth ballot - the first ballot requiring only absolute majority, unlike the former three which required 2/3 of the votes - with 543 votes (the required majority was 505). He will be the first former Communist to become President of Italy. Grants of esteem toward his person and his authority as future President of the Italian Republic were cast by both members of the Union and the House of Freedoms (who had issued a blank vote) after his election. He will probably start his term on May 15.
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External Links
- BBC News, "Napolitano elected Italy's leader", accessed May 10, 2006.
- CNN, "Italy finally agrees on president", accessed May 11, 2006.
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