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Franco Marini

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Franco Marini
President of the Senate of the Republic
In office
29 April 2006 – 28 April 2008
Preceded byMarcello Pera
Succeeded byRenato Schifani
Minister of Labour and Social Security
In office
12 April 1991 – 28 June 1992
Prime MinisterGiulio Andreotti
Preceded byRosa Russo Iervolino
Succeeded byNino Cristofori
Secretary of the Italian People's Party
In office
January 1997 – October 1999
Preceded byGerardo Bianco
Succeeded byPierluigi Castagnetti
Secretary-General of the Italian Confederation of Workers' Trade Unions
In office
6 February 1985 – 13 March 1991
Preceded byPierre Carniti
Succeeded bySergio D'Antoni
Member of the Senate
In office
28 April 2006 – 15 March 2013
ConstituencyAbruzzo
Member of the Chamber of Deputies
In office
23 January 1992 – 27 April 2006
ConstituencyAbruzzo
Personal details
Born(1933-04-09)9 April 1933
San Pio delle Camere, Kingdom of Italy
Died9 February 2021 (aged 87)
Rome, Italy
Political partyPD (since 2007)
Other political
affiliations
DC (1950–1994)
PPI (1994–2002)
The Daisy (2002–2007)
ProfessionTrade unionist
Politician

Franco Marini (9 April 1933 – 9 February 2021)[1] was an Italian politician and a prominent member of the centre-left Democratic Party. From 2006 to 2008, he was the president of the Senate.

Biography

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Trade unionist

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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 Italian general 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.

President of the Senate

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After the centre-left Union victory in the 2006 Italian general election, Marini was elected as President of the 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 2008 Italian 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 15 March 2013.

Candidate for the Presidency of Italy

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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.

Death

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He died in 2021 at the age of 87, a victim of COVID-19 during the COVID-19 pandemic in Italy.[5]

References

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  1. ^ È morto Franco Marini, l'ex presidente del Senato stroncato dal Covid. La politica in lutto: "Combattente appassionato, difensore della democrazia (in Italian)
  2. ^ a b "Page at Senate website" (in Italian). Italian Senate. Archived from the original on 29 November 2020.
  3. ^ "Italy moves towards interim rule". BBC News. 30 January 2008. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016.
  4. ^ Elisabeth Rosenthal, "With Flawed System Unchanged, Italy Sets Elections for April", The New York Times, 7 February 2008.
  5. ^ "Ex union leader, Senate chief Marini dies of COVID at 87 - English". ANSA.it. 9 February 2021. Archived from the original on 9 February 2021. Retrieved 9 February 2021.
[edit]
Trade union offices
Preceded by Secretary-General of the Italian
Confederation of Workers' Trade Unions

1985–1991
Succeeded by
Political offices
Preceded by Minister of Labour and Social Security
1991–1992
Succeeded by
Preceded by President of the Italian Senate
2006–2008
Succeeded by
Party political offices
Preceded by Secretary of Italian People's Party
1997–1999
Succeeded by