Carlo Amedeo Giovanardi (Modena, 15 January 1950) is an Italian politician and member of the Parliament..
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He graduated in jurisprudence, and did his military service in the Carabinieri. His political experience began in 1969, when he joined the Christian Democratic Party (Democrazia Cristiana).
His first elected position was as a city councillor in Modena, followed by being a Christian Democrat member in the Regional Council of the Emilia Romagna. In 1992 he was elected as a member of the Chamber of Deputies (Camera dei Deputati) and in the successive legislature on the Christian Democrat list. Subsequently he became an exponent (and founder) of the Christian Democratic Centre (Centro Cristiano Democratico).
He has been president of the parliamentary group of the Christian Democratic Centre and vice president of the Chamber of Deputies.
In the 2001 Italian elections he was elected Deputy representing Lecco for Silvio Berlusconi's centre-right coalition "House of Freedoms" (Casa delle Libertà), as part of the Union of Christian and Centre Democrats (Unione dei Democratici Cristiani e Democratici di Centro).
From June 11, 2001 until May 2006, he was Minister for Parliamentary Affairs, in Berlusconi's second and third governments.
In the 2006 Italian general election he became Deputy representing the Veneto-2 constituency. He is President of the Committee for the Authorizations and President of the Parliamentary Committee for accusation procedures. He is also member of the Institutional Transactions Commission of the Chamber of Deputies.
Carlo Giovanardi and Emerenzio Barbieri are the leaders of one of the four factions in the Union of Christian and Centre Democrats, who want closer ties with Forza Italia and the other parties of the House of Freedoms coalition, including the Lega Nord. In the III National Congress the candidacy of Giovanardi for the leadership was supported by the 13.8% of delegates.[1]
On Sunday 13 November 2005, a TV program report by Milena Gabanelli on Rai Tre[2] said that the Italian company Cremonini had produced tinned meat that resulted in the death of a 12 year old boy in Moscow because of food poisoning, and that the Cuban government had rejected Cremonini tinned meat made in Italy because it was in a bad condition. Carlo Giovanardi commented on the programme saying:
"I was amazed at the way that the Report programme tried to destroy the image of a great Italian company like Inalca of Modena... from the resurrection of the fear that consumers have for the mad cow to the supplies from abroad, from the collapse of other companies to the malicious connection of single episodes, everything has been lumped together to criminalize the companies in the group. The economic and moral damage for the company and for our country risk being incalculable: we’ll have to see who benefits from these programmes, who suggested them and who thinks they will profit financially on the national and international market, by weakening a dangerous competitor that could support world competition."[3]
In late December 2005, during an interview on Radio 24, he said "I am not employee of nobody if not of my constituents" and "In democracy everyone answers to his ideas and the constituents who have voted it".[4] This was criticised by commentator Beppe Grillo because, Article 67 of the Italian constitution, says that "Every member of the parliament represents the nation and exercises its functions without mandate tie".[5][6]
In the January 2006 was approved the "Legge Fini-Giovanardi" (Fini-Giovanardi law), developed with the colleague Gianfranco Fini, which restricted the use of drugs, especially cannabis, and strongly increased punishments also for consumers.
In May 2008, in an interview at the website of the Circles of Freedom, Giovanardi said, contrary to the constitutional provisions guaranteeing freedom of expression of citizens, the intention to introduce a law that prohibits whatsoever anti-prohibitionist rally or event: "We say enough to the drug culture. And in order to do that we want to introduce a rule preventing propaganda, even indirect, to all drugs, including so-called "light drugs" [...] In addition to insist on prevention and education, and to have asked prefects and Quaestors to monitor and act with determination against these irresponsible initiatives, we are committed to find the most appropriate regulatory tools aimed to avoid that propaganda events such as three days in Bologna on hemp can be held freely. "[7]
In a radio program aired on Rai Radio 1, on 17 March 2006 he said, "Nazi legislation and Hitler’s ideas are re-emerging in Europe via Dutch euthanasia laws and the debate on how to kill ill children." He added that it is eugenics to debate killing children "who are ill or have Down syndrome," and that "We could just as easily apply this to senior citizens."[8][9] The "Dutch prime minister, called Giovanardi's comments 'scandalous and unacceptable'".[10]
| Italian Chamber of Deputies | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Title jointly held |
Deputy for Lecco 2001–2006 |
Succeeded by Title jointly held |
| Preceded by Title jointly held |
Deputy for Veneto 2 2006–2008 |
Succeeded by Title jointly held |
| Italian Senate | ||
| Preceded by Title jointly held |
Senator for Emilia-Romagna 2008 – present |
Succeeded by Title jointly held |
| Political offices | ||
| Preceded by Patrizia Toia |
Minister of Relations with Parliament 2001–2006 |
Succeeded by Vannino Chiti |
| Preceded by Fabio Gobbo, Enrico Letta, Ricardo Franco Levi, Enrico Micheli |
Undersecretary to the Prime Minister 2008 – present Served alongside: Maurizio Balocchi, Paolo Bonaiuti, Michela Vittoria Brambilla, Aldo Brancher, Gianfranco Miccichè |
Incumbent |
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