Franco Marini

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Franco Marini (born 9 April 1933) is an Italian politician, prominent member of the centre-left Daisy party, and newly-elected Speaker of the Senate of Italy.

[edit] Biography

Marini was born in San Pio delle Camere, in the Province of L'Aquila (Abruzzo).

A law graduate and trade unionist, Marini joined the Christian Democracy party in 1950 and was elected leader of the Italian Confederation of Workers’ Trade Unions (CISL) trade union in 1985. He left CISL in 1991 in order to become the Minister of Labour in the government of Giulio Andreotti.

A candidate in the 1992 election for Christian Democracy, he was to emerge as the most voted candidate in the country for what it was the leading Italian party at the time. In 1997 Marini was appointed leader of the Italian Popular Party, heir of the disbanded Christian Democracy, but he left the position in 1999 because of a poor party result in the European election. After the Italian Popular Party joined the Daisy, he became the organizational secretary for the newly founded party.

On April 29, 2006, after the centre-left victory in the general election, Franco Marini was appointed Speaker of the Italian Senate after three votings, defeating Giulio Andreotti, candidate of the House of Freedoms and his former party fellow during the Christian Democracy times, by 165 votes to 156 and succeeding to Marcello Pera.

Preceded by Marcello Pera

President of the Italian Senate 2006-

Succeeded by Incumbent