Gianfranco Fini
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Onorevole
Gianfranco Fini |
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| Incumbent | |
| Assumed office April 30, 2008 |
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| Preceded by | Fausto Bertinotti |
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| In office November 18, 2004 – May 17, 2006 |
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| Prime Minister | Silvio Berlusconi |
| Preceded by | Franco Frattini |
| Succeeded by | Massimo D'Alema |
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| Assumed office July 12, 1983 |
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| Constituency | XI - Emilia Romagna |
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| Born | January 3, 1952 Bologna Italy |
| Nationality | Italian |
| Political party | People of Freedom |
| Spouse | Daniela Di Sotto 1988 - 2007 |
| Children | Giuliana Fini Carolina Fini |
| Residence | Rome |
| Alma mater | La Sapienza |
| Profession | Journalist Politician |
Gianfranco Fini (born January 3, 1952) is an Italian politician, currently President of the Italian Chamber of Deputies and member of the centre-right party People of Freedom. He was also Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs in Berlusconi’ government of 2001 to 2006.
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[edit] Early years
Fini was born in Bologna, where as a child he attended the Istituto Laura Bassi. He recounts that he first gained an interest in politics at sixteen when he saw the John Wayne film The Green Berets. His studies continued at La Sapienza, where he received a degree in psychology.
[edit] Political life
Fini was first elected to the Chamber of Deputies on June 26, 1983 as a member of the extreme right Italian Social Movement (MSI). He later served as the party’s national secretary from December 1987 to January 1990 and again from July 1991 to January 1995. During his time as national secretary, he confirmed the MSI’s role as the inheritors of Mussolini’s Fascist legacy with a number of famous polemical statements, including: "Dear comrades, MSI claims its right to refer to fascism" (1988), "We are fascists, the heirs of fascism, the fascism of the year 2000" (1991), "After almost half a century, fascism is ideally alive" (1992), "There are phases where freedom is not among the key values" (1994), " Mussolini was the greatest Italian statesman of the twentieth century" , "Fascism has a tradition of honesty, correctness and good government" (1994).[1]
Towards the end of the 1990s he gradually began to move the MSI away from its neo-fascist ideology to a conservative political agenda. Some members left, but most remained, and in 1994, Fini merged the MSI-DN with conservative elements of the disbanded Christian Democrats to form the National Alliance (AN).
In January 1995, at a National Alliance conference in Fiuggi he was officially elected president of the newly-formed party, a position he held until its demise The conference became known as "la svolta di Fiuggi" (the turning point at Fiuggi). Fini and his party have been part of Berlusconi's right-wing House of Freedoms coalition which won the 1994 and 2001 parliamentary election. Fini became deputy prime minister in 2001 and foreign minister in November 2004.
From February 2002 to 2006, he represented the Italian Government at the European Convention. Following the April 2008 general election, Fini was elected President of the Chamber of Deputies on April 30, 2008 on the fourth ballot, receiving 355 votes.
[edit] Controversies
- In 1999 Fini asked for forced hospitalization of drug consumers, without distinctions between different illegal drugs.[2]
- On January 29, 2006, after the approval by the Senate of the Fini-sponsored drug bill (equiparation of marijuana to class 1 drugs such as heroin or cocaine for dealers and fines for consumption) Fini, guest on the popular TV-Show Che tempo che fa, hosted by Fabio Fazio, admitted to having smoked marijuana while on vacation in Jamaica.[3]
- In May 2008, he sparked outrage when he said that the burning of an Israeli flag was much worse than the murder of a 29-year-old man in Verona, savagely beaten to death by a local group of skinheads.[4]
- He ignited controversy when he stated that the racial laws were not the sole responsibility of the Fascist regime, but also that Italian civil society and the Roman Catholic Church had to have their share of the blame as well.[5]
- In a press conference to the Foreign Press Association, was asked about his thought on Benito Mussolini. A journalist reminded him that 15 years ago he called the dictator the greatest statesman of the century, and Fini replied: "I'm fascinated by your question.... clearly the answer is in what I've done in the past 15 years." Today, Fini added, "my answer is no, I have changed my mind, otherwise I would be schizophrenic."[6]
[edit] References
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Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to: Gianfranco Fini |
[edit] External links
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Enrico Micheli Secretary of the Council of Ministers |
Vice Chairman of the Italian Council of Ministers Served alongside: Marco Follini (2004-2005), Giulio Tremonti (2005-2006) 2001–2006 |
Succeeded by Massimo D'Alema and Francesco Rutelli |
| Preceded by Franco Frattini |
Italian Minister of Foreign Affairs 2004–2006 |
Succeeded by Massimo D'Alema |
| Preceded by Fausto Bertinotti |
President of the Italian Chamber of Deputies 2008-present |
Succeeded by Incumbent |
| Italian Chamber of Deputies | ||
| Preceded by Title jointly held |
Member of the Italian Chamber of Deputies Legislatures IX - XVI 1983 - present |
Incumbent |
| Party political offices | ||
| Preceded by Giorgio Almirante |
Secretary of the Italian Social Movement 1987-1990 |
Succeeded by Pino Rauti |
| Preceded by Pino Rauti |
Secretary of the Italian Social Movement 1991-1995 |
Succeeded by Party dissolved |
| Preceded by Party created |
President of National Alliance 1995 - 2008 |
Succeeded by Ignazio La Russa |
| Order of precedence | ||
| Preceded by Renato Schifani President of the italian Senate |
Italian order of precedence President of the Italian Chamber of Deputies |
Succeeded by Silvio Berlusconi Prime Minister of Italy |
