Pier Luigi Bersani | |
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Leader of the Democratic Party | |
Incumbent | |
Assumed office 25 October 2009 |
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Preceded by | Dario Franceschini |
Minister of Economic Development | |
In office 17 May 2006 – 8 May 2008 |
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Prime Minister | Romano Prodi |
Preceded by | Claudio Scajola (Productive Activities) |
Succeeded by | Claudio Scajola |
Minister of Transports and Navigation | |
In office 22 December 1999 – 11 June 2001 |
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Prime Minister | Massimo D'Alema |
Preceded by | Tiziano Treu |
Succeeded by | Pietro Lunardi (Infrastructures and Transports) |
Minister of Industry, Commerce and Craftmanship | |
In office 18 May 1996 – 22 December 1999 |
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Prime Minister | Romano Prodi |
Preceded by | Alberto Clò |
Succeeded by | Enrico Letta |
President of Emilia-Romagna | |
In office 6 July 1993 – 17 May 1996 |
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Preceded by | Enrico Boselli |
Succeeded by | Antonio La Forgia |
Personal details | |
Born | 29 September 1951 Bettola, Italy |
Political party | Democratic Party |
Spouse(s) | Daniela Ferrari |
Children | Elisa Margherita |
Alma mater | University of Bologna |
Religion | Roman Catholicism |
Pier Luigi Bersani (Italian pronunciation: [pjɛr luˈiːdʒi berˈsaːni]) (born 29 September 1951 in Bettola) is an Italian politician and the current Secretary of the Democratic Party of Italy, the main center-left political party in Italy . He was Minister of Industry, Commerce and Craftmanship from 1996 to 1999, Minister of Transports from 1999 to 2001, and Minister of Economic Development from 2006 to 2008. Since his election as Secretary of the Democratic Party of Italy in October 2009, he is de facto the parliamentary Leader of the Opposition.
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Pier Luigi Bersani was born September 29, 1951, in Bettola, a mountain municipality in Nure Valley, in the province of Piacenza, Emilia-Romagna region, Italy. His father was a mechanic and a gas station clerk. After earning his high-school degree in Piacenza, Bersani enrolled in the University of Bologna where he graduated in philosophy with a dissertation on Pope Gregory I. He married Mrs. Daniela Ferrari in 1980, and he has two daughters: Elisa and Margherita. After a short experience as teacher he committed his life to politics and public administration.[1]
Bersani joined the Italian Communist Party and subsequently the Democratic Party of the Left. As member of the National Secretariat of the Democrats of the Left, he was responsible for the economic sector. Very young, he became Vice-President of the Mountain Community of Piacenza, then elected in the Regional Council of Emilia-Romagna region and Vice-President of Emilia-Romagna in 1990; he was President of Emilia-Romagna from 1993 to 1996.
After the general election of 1996 he was Minister of Industry, Commerce and Craftmanship (1996–1999) and Minister of Transports (1999–2001) in the center-left cabinets of Prodi, D'Alema, Amato.
In 2004 he was elected to the European Parliament representing the North-West region for the Democrats of the Left, part of the Socialist Group, and sat on the European Parliament's Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs. He was a substitute for the Committee on the Internal Market and Consumer Protection, a member of the Delegation to the European Union-Kazakhstan, EU-Kyrgyzstan and EU-Uzbekistan Parliamentary Cooperation Committees, and for relations with Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Mongolia, and a substitute for the Delegation for relations with Belarus. He left the European Parliament on his re-election to the Chamber of Deputies in 2006, and he was appointed as Minister of Economic Development in the government of Prime Minister Romano Prodi on May 17, 2006.
The Prodi II Cabinet assigned the Minister of Economic Development, Pier Luigi Bersani, the task of making reforms in order to achieve more market liberalization and competition. The minister responded with Decree Law 223 of 30 June 2006, later converted into Law 248/2006, popularly known as the “Bersani 1” decree on taxi drivers and pharmacies, although it addressed other sectors as well. The government’s policy of competition and liberalization would not to stop there. “Bersani 1” was followed by “Bersani 2” (decree 7 of 31 January 2007, converted into Law 40 of 2 April 2007), and then by a series of bills for the liberalization of the professions and television broadcasting, local public services, and energy, as well as the reduction and simplification of times and procedures for the start up of new businesses. Another bill proposed to rationalize the jurisdictions of the regulatory authorities, modifying and reinforcing their powers, particularly with regard to competition. Still another bill would introduce and regulate the judicial procedures for class action lawsuits.[2]
On October 25, 2009 he defeated incumbents Dario Franceschini and Ignazio Marino in the Democratic Party leadership election, thus becoming Italy's main opposition leader, scoring 55.1% among party members.[3] Since November, 7 2009, as decided by the National Assembly, Pier Luigi Bersani officially took office as Secretary of the Democratic Party of Italy.[4]
In 2001 Bersani co-founded with Vincenzo Visco the NENS ("New Economy, New Society") think tank.[5] He is also chairman of the Nuova Romea Society, born in 2002 with the objective of the development of Emilia-Romagna and Veneto territories.
Political offices | ||
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Preceded by Enrico Boselli |
President of Emilia-Romagna 1994–1996 |
Succeeded by Antonio La Forgia |
Preceded by Alberto Clò |
Minister of Industry, Commerce and Craftsmanship 1996–1999 |
Succeeded by Enrico Letta |
Preceded by Tiziano Treu |
Minister of Transports and Navigation 1999–2001 |
Succeeded by Pietro Lunardi as Minister of Infrastructures and Transports |
Preceded by Claudio Scajola as Italian Minister of Productive Activities |
Minister of Economic Development 2006–2008 |
Succeeded by Claudio Scajola |
Party political offices | ||
Preceded by Dario Franceschini |
Leader of the Democratic Party 2009–present |
Incumbent |
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