Franco Marini

Senatore
Franco Marini
President of the Italian Senate
In office
29 April 2006  28 April 2008
Preceded by Marcello Pera
Succeeded by Renato Schifani
Italian Minister of Labour
In office
12 April 1991  28 June 1992
Prime Minister Giulio Andreotti
Preceded by Rosa Russo Iervolino
Succeeded by Nino Cristofori
Secretary of the Italian People's Party
In office
January 1997  October 1999
Preceded by Gerardo Bianco
Succeeded by Pierluigi Castagnetti
Secretary-General of the CISL
In office
6 February 1985  13 March 1991
Preceded by Pierre Carniti
Succeeded by Sergio D'Antoni
Member of the Italian Senate
In office
28 April 2006  15 March 2013
Constituency Abruzzo
Member of the Chamber of Deputies
In office
23 April 1992  27 April 2006
Constituency Abruzzo
Personal details
Born 9 April 1933
San Pio delle Camere, Italy
Political party Democratic Party
Profession Syndicalist
Politician
Religion Roman Catholicism[1]

Franco Marini (born 9 April 1933)[2] is an Italian politician and a prominent member of the centre-left Democratic Party. From 2006 to 2008 he was the president of the Italian Senate.

Biography

Marini was born in San Pio delle Camere, in the Province of L'Aquila (Abruzzo).[2]

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 the leading Italian party at the time. In 1997 Marini was appointed leader of the Italian People's Party, heir of the disbanded Christian Democracy, but he left the position in 1999 because of the party's poor electoral performance in the 1999 European election. After the Italian People's Party became part of Democracy is Freedom – The Daisy, he became the organizational secretary for the newly founded party.

On 29 April 2006, after the centre-left Union victory in the general election, Franco Marini was elected as President of the Italian Senate after three votes; he defeated Giulio Andreotti, the candidate of the House of Freedoms and his former party fellow during the Christian Democracy times, by 165 votes to 156, and succeeded Marcello Pera.

On 30 January 2008, President Giorgio Napolitano summoned Marini to the Quirinale after having met with the different political parties following the vote of no confidence received by the Prodi II Cabinet and the political crisis it caused. He asked Marini to attempt to form an interim government, which would work to reform electoral laws prior to a new election.[3] Marini decided that his task was impossible on 4 February, after meeting with right-wing leaders Silvio Berlusconi and Gianfranco Fini, because he "could not find a significant majority on a precise electoral reform". Napolitano therefore dissolved Parliament and an early election was called for April 2008.[4] Marini was re-elected to the Senate in that election.[2]

Senator for the Democratic Party, Franco Marini was not re-elected in the February 2013 general election; his term as Senator expired on March 15, 2013.

Candidate for the Presidency of Italy

On 17 April 2013, the Democratic Party (center-left), the People of Freedom (center right) and Civic Choice (center) designated Franco Marini as candidate for the presidential election. He failed to win the necessary two-thirds majority in the first round of voting.

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Franco Marini.
  1. "The hot seat of the Head of State". Il Sole - 24 ORE. 16 January 2013. Retrieved 14 March 2014.
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 Page at Senate website Italian Senate (Italian).
  3. "Italy moves towards interim rule", BBC News, 30 January 2008.
  4. Elisabeth Rosenthal, "With Flawed System Unchanged, Italy Sets Elections for April", The New York Times, February 7, 2008.
Political offices
Preceded by
Marcello Pera
President of the Italian Senate
2006 – 2008
Succeeded by
Renato Schifani
Italian Chamber of Deputies
Preceded by
Title jointly held
Member of the Italian Chamber of Deputies
Legislatures
XI, XII, XIII, XIV,

1992 – 2006
Succeeded by
Title jointly held
Italian Senate
Preceded by
Title jointly held
Member of the Italian Senate
Legislatures
XV, XVI

2006 – 2013
Succeeded by
Title jointly held