Dario Franceschini

Dario Franceschini
Minister of Culture and Tourism
Incumbent
Assumed office
22 February 2014
Prime Minister Matteo Renzi
Preceded by Massimo Bray
Secretary of the Democratic Party
In office
21 February 2009 – 25 October 2009
Preceded by Walter Veltroni
Succeeded by Pier Luigi Bersani
Personal details
Born 19 October 1958
Ferrara, Italy
Political party Christian Democracy
(Before 1994)
People's Party (1994–2002)
The Daisy (2002–2007)
Democratic Party (2007–present)
Other political
affiliations		 The Olive Tree (1995–2007)
Spouse(s) Silvia Bombardi (Separated)
Children Caterina
Maria Elena
Alma mater University of Ferrara
Religion Roman Catholicism

Dario Franceschini (born 19 October 1958 in Ferrara)[1] is an Italian lawyer, writer, and politician, who served as the second leader of the Democratic Party.[2][3] He has been a prominent member of the Italian People's Party (PPI), of the Daisy and the first Deputy Secretary of the Democratic Party.[1] Following the resignation of Walter Veltroni on 21 February 2009 the Constituent Assembly of the Democratic Party elected him the new Secretary.[2][3] On 25 October 2009, he lost the leadership election to Pier Luigi Bersani, and subsequently accepted his offer to become the party's Leader in the Chamber of Deputies.[4]

Biography

Franceschini started his political career as a student in the Liceo scientifico "Antonio Roiti" and in the University of Ferrara.[1] He joined the Christian Democracy shortly after the nomination of Benigno Zaccagnini as National Secretary, and after two years he was elected provincial delegate of the Young Christian Democrats.[1] He was elected city councillor in Ferrara in 1980, 1985 and 1990.[1] In 1985 he graduated from the University of Ferrara and started practicing civil law.[1]

At the 1993 Constituent Assembly of the Christian Democracy (which would soon turn into the Italian People's Party), Franceschini voted for an alliance with the left.[1] When the next year the PPI entered the general election in a centrist coalition, the Pact for Italy, he left the party.[1] He subsequently founded the Christian Socials movement, and in 1995, he ran unsuccessfully for Mayor of Ferrara, winning about 20% of the votes.[1]

Following the birth of the Olive Tree coalition, Franceschini re-entered the Italian People's Party, and from 1997 to 1999 he was its Deputy Secretary and Coordinator.[1] He was appointed Undersecretary for Institutional Reforms in the D'Alema II Cabinet, and he maintained this position in the Amato II Cabinet.[5] In the 2001 general election he was elected to the Italian Chamber of Deputies in Ferrara College 9, and he became a member of the Constitutional Affairs Commission of the Chamber.[6]

In 2001, Franceschini was a founding member of the Daisy and in 2002 he was named executive coordinator of the party.[1] In the 2006 general election he was re-elected Deputy for the XI constituency of Emilia-Romagna and he was appointed Leader of the Olive Tree group in the Chamber.[7] When the Daisy was merged with the Democrats of the Left to form the new Democratic Party on 14 October 2007, Secretary Walter Veltroni chose him as his Deputy.[3]

In the 2008 general election, Franceschini was elected to the Chamber of Deputies for the third time.[8] After a series of electoral defeats for the Democratic Party, Secretary Walter Veltroni resigned in February 2009.[2][3] The Constituent Assembly of the party convened on 21 February 2009 to choose a new leader and appointed Franceschini Secretary with 1,047 votes out of 1,258. His only opponent Arturo Parisi won just 92 votes.[2][3]

Personal life

Franceschini is married to Michela Di Biase. He has two daughters. He is divorced from his first wife.[9] He has written four novels which were published from 2006 to 2013.[5]

Works

*Il Partito popolare a Ferrara: cattolici, socialisti e fascisti nella terra di Grosoli e don Minzoni (1985)[10]

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 1.8 1.9 1.10 "Dario Franceschini – Biography". Democratic Party. Retrieved 22 February 2009.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 "Italy's Left gets new leader". France 24. 22 February 2009. Retrieved 22 February 2009.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 "Italian opposition elects leader". BBC News. 21 February 2009. Retrieved 21 February 2009.
  4. ↑ "PD: Franceschini accetta offerta Bersani, sarà capogruppo alla Camera" (in Italian). ASCA. 4 November 2009. Retrieved 4 November 2009.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 "Italian left elects Franceschini to succeed Veltroni". Agence France-Presse. 21 February 2009. Retrieved 21 February 2009.
  6. ↑ "Chamber of Deputies – XIV Legislature". Italian Chamber of Deputies. Retrieved 22 February 2009.
  7. ↑ "Chamber of Deputies – XV Legislature". Italian Chamber of Deputies. Retrieved 22 February 2009.
  8. ↑ "Chamber of Deputies – XVI Legislature". Italian Chamber of Deputies. Retrieved 22 February 2009.
  9. ↑ "Michela De Biase ce la fa: si assicura il seggio la compagna di Franceschini" (in Italian). Corriere della Sera. 28 May 2013. Retrieved 25 August 2013.
  10. ↑ Franceschini, Dario (1985). Il Partito popolare a Ferrara. CLUEB. ISBN 978-88-491-0609-1.
  11. ↑ Franceschini, Dario (2006). Nelle vene quell'acqua d'argento. Tascabili Bompiani. ISBN 88-452-5600-6.
  12. ↑ Franceschini, Dario (2007). La follia improvvisa di Ignazio Rando. Bompiani. ISBN 88-452-5945-5.

External links

Party political offices
New office Coordinator of the People's Party
1997–1999 		Succeeded by
Lapo Pistelli
Executive Coordinator of The Daisy
2001–2006 		Succeeded by
Antonello Soro
Preceded by
Pierluigi Castagnetti		 Leader of The Olive Tree in the Chamber of Deputies
2006–2007 		Party dissolved
New office Deputy Secretary of the Democratic Party
2007–2009 		Succeeded by
Enrico Letta
Preceded by
Walter Veltroni		 Secretary of the Democratic Party
2009 		Succeeded by
Pier Luigi Bersani
Preceded by
Antonello Soro		 Leader of the Democratic Party in the Chamber of Deputies
2009–2013 		Succeeded by
Roberto Speranza
Political offices
Preceded by
Massimo Bray		 Minister of Culture and Tourism
2014–present 		Incumbent