Luca Zaia

Dottore
Luca Zaia
President of Veneto
Incumbent
Assumed office
13 April 2010
Preceded by Giancarlo Galan
Minister of Agriculture
In office
8 May 2008 – 16 April 2010
Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi
Preceded by Paolo De Castro
Succeeded by Giancarlo Galan
Personal details
Born 27 March 1968
Conegliano, Italy
Political party Liga Veneta–Lega Nord
Alma mater University of Udine

Luca Zaia (Conegliano, 27 March 1968) is an Italian Venetist politician and member of Liga Veneta–Lega Nord.

Since April 2010 Zaia has been President of Veneto. Prior to that, he was Minister of Agriculture in Silvio Berlusconi's fourth cabinet from May 2008 to April 2010 and Vice President of Veneto from May 2005 to May 2008.

Political career

Luca Zaia joined Liga Veneta–Lega Nord in the early 1990s, after having met Gian Paolo Gobbo, and was first elected to public office in 1993, when he became municipal councillor of Godega di Sant'Urbano. Two years later, in 1995, he successfully ran for provincial councillor and, after the election, was appointed provincial minister of Agricolture.[1][2]

In the 1998 provincial election Zaia was elected President of the Province of Treviso with 60.0% of the vote in the second round, after arriving ahead in the first round with 41.4% and refusing to accept the support of any other party other than his own.[3] At the time, he was the youngest provincial president of Italy.[1][2] In 2002 he was re-elected by a landslide 68.9% of the vote in the second round and continue to govern the province with the sole support of his party.[4]

In May 2005 Zaia was appointed Vice President of Veneto and regional minister of Agricolture and Tourism in Galan III Government, but left in May 2008 in order to take office as minister of Agricolture in Berlusconi IV Cabinet.[1][2]

In December 2009 The People of Freedom (PdL) determined that the coalition candidate in the 2010 regional election would be a leghista.[5] Subsequently the national council of Liga Veneta (LV) nominated Zaia for President. [6]

In March 2010 Zaia was elected President of Veneto by a landslide, with 60.2% of the vote against 29.1% of his foremost opponent, Giuseppe Bortolussi of the Democratic Party (PD). The election was a triumph for the LV, which was by far the largest party in the region with 35.2% of the vote, up from 14.7% of five years before, and got 20 seats in the Regional Council, up from 11. Zaia was also the most voted President of Veneto since direct election was introduced in 1995.[7]

Personal life

Luca Zaia was born on 27 March 1968 in the Province of Treviso. In 1993 he received a degree in the science of animal production at the veterinary college of the University of Udine, before attending a managerial course.[1][2]

In 1998 Zaia married Raffaella Monti. The couple has no children.[8]

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 http://www.regione.veneto.it/static/www/giunta/Presidente/BiografiadiLUCAZAIA.pdf
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 http://www.consiglioveneto.it/crvportal/pageContainer.jsp?n=5&p=5&c=1&e=12&t=0&key=451
  3. ↑ http://www.cattaneo.org/archivi/adele/province/provin98.xls
  4. ↑ http://www.repubblica.it/elezioni2002/province.html
  5. ↑ Il Pdl a Pd e Udc: basta tensioni Regionali, il Veneto alla Lega
  6. ↑ Zaia candidato: c'è il sigillo della Lega «Felice di questa grande responsabilità» - Corriere del Veneto
  7. ↑ Ministry of the Interior – 2010 regional election in Veneto
  8. ↑ http://archiviostorico.corriere.it/2010/marzo/31/moglie_del_neo_governatore_Amo_co_8_100331012.shtml

External links

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