Christopher Columbus Foundation
Encyclopedia
The Christopher Columbus Foundation, whose complete name is Christopher Columbus Foundation for Freedoms (Fondazione Cristoforo Colombo per le Libertà, FCL) is a faction and think tank within The People of Freedom
(PdL), a political party in Italy. Its leader is Claudio Scajola
.
wielded a strong influence within Forza Italia
, the main precursor of the PdL. During his five years as national coordinator of the party (1996–2001), Scajola built Forza Italia as a modern mass party and prepared it for several electoral victories. Scajola was minister in all governments of Silvio Berlusconi
(2001–2006, 2008–present) until his resignation as minister of Economic Development in early 2010 over a scandal.
, Raffaele Lauro, Paolo Tancredi and Giustina Destro
. Most of them were former Christian Democrats
, while others shared with Scajola the regional upbringing, hailing from Liguria
, Scajola's power base, or neighbouring Piedmont
.
In November 2010 the Christopher Columbus Foundation (FCL) was formed by Scajola in order to re-discover the original spirit of Forza Italia. The association was joined by Scajoliani and also by Antonio Martino
, a former Liberal
who was number two of Forza Italia in 1994 and minister of Foreign Affairs in Berlusconi's first government
, as well as other liberals, such as Gregorio Fontana, and leading Christian democrats of the party, including Mario Baccini
and Osvaldo Napoli.
In early 2011 Scajola, who had been clared of any wrongdoing, started to prepare a strong comeback. At the beginning of March he declared that he had 62 MPs behind him and asked Berlusconi either a major role in the party organization or a return in government. Soon after Scajola criticized how the fusion between Forza Italia and National Alliance
(AN) had been done, demanded a bigger role for those coming from Forza Italia and threatened to form separate parliamentary groups from the PdL.
The threat was renewed in October 2011, when Scajola and his followers asked for a new government, still led by Berlusconi, but with the Union of the Centre in it. A vote of confidence on Berlusconi's government was set on 14 October 2011, and Scajola announced that his group would vote for the government. However, he was not able two prevent two Venetian
deputies, Giustina Destro and Fabio Gava
from voting against the government, which survived the vote anyway.
On 2 November Destro and Gava, along with Roberto Antonione, Giorgio Stracquadanio
, Isabella Bertolini and Giancarlo Pittelli, promoted an open letter in which they asked Berlusconi to step down and called for a new executive. Four "moderate" Scajoliani (Paolo Russo, Pietro Testoni, Andrea Orsini and Guglielmo Picchi
) were present at the meeting, but did not sign the letter. Contextually, Antonione announced that he was leaving the party.
The People of Freedom
The People of Freedom is a centre-right political party in Italy. With the Democratic Party, it is one of the two major parties of the current Italian party system....
(PdL), a political party in Italy. Its leader is Claudio Scajola
Claudio Scajola
Claudio Scajola is an Italian politician.-Career:A long-time Christian Democrat, he was mayor of Imperia in the Eighties, as his father and his brother had been. When Christian Democracy disbanded, he joined Forza Italia in 1995. He was then elected deputy in 1996 and was national coordinator of...
.
Background
The group around Claudio ScajolaClaudio Scajola
Claudio Scajola is an Italian politician.-Career:A long-time Christian Democrat, he was mayor of Imperia in the Eighties, as his father and his brother had been. When Christian Democracy disbanded, he joined Forza Italia in 1995. He was then elected deputy in 1996 and was national coordinator of...
wielded a strong influence within Forza Italia
Forza Italia
Forza Italia was a liberal-conservative, Christian democratic, and liberal political party in Italy, with a large social democratic minority, that was led by Silvio Berlusconi, four times Prime Minister of Italy....
, the main precursor of the PdL. During his five years as national coordinator of the party (1996–2001), Scajola built Forza Italia as a modern mass party and prepared it for several electoral victories. Scajola was minister in all governments of Silvio Berlusconi
Silvio Berlusconi
Silvio Berlusconi , also known as Il Cavaliere – from knighthood to the Order of Merit for Labour which he received in 1977 – is an Italian politician and businessman who served three terms as Prime Minister of Italy, from 1994 to 1995, 2001 to 2006, and 2008 to 2011. Berlusconi is also the...
(2001–2006, 2008–present) until his resignation as minister of Economic Development in early 2010 over a scandal.
History
After having left active politics for a while in 2010, Scajola soon started to re-organize his faction, whose leading members included Massimo Berruti, Paolo Russo, Maria Teresa Armosino, Ignazio Abrignani, Michele Scandroglio, Salvatore Cicu, Sandro Biasotti, Roberto CassinelliRoberto Cassinelli
Roberto Cassinelli is an Italian politician and lawyer, Member of the Italian Chamber of Deputies.-Studies and professional life:Cassinelli was born in Genoa, and attended the catholic college Vittorino da Feltre in the same city...
, Raffaele Lauro, Paolo Tancredi and Giustina Destro
Giustina Destro
Giustina Mistrello Destro is an Italian politician and entrepreneur.An entrepreneur by profession, Destro joined politics relatively late in her life. In 1999 she formed a list for Padua municipal election and ran as an independent candidate for mayor, with the support of centre-right parties,...
. Most of them were former Christian Democrats
Christian Democracy (Italy)
Christian Democracy was a Christian democratic party in Italy. It was founded in 1943 as the ideological successor of the historical Italian People's Party, which had the same symbol, a crossed shield ....
, while others shared with Scajola the regional upbringing, hailing from Liguria
Liguria
Liguria is a coastal region of north-western Italy, the third smallest of the Italian regions. Its capital is Genoa. It is a popular region with tourists for its beautiful beaches, picturesque little towns, and good food.-Geography:...
, Scajola's power base, or neighbouring Piedmont
Piedmont
Piedmont is one of the 20 regions of Italy. It has an area of 25,402 square kilometres and a population of about 4.4 million. The capital of Piedmont is Turin. The main local language is Piedmontese. Occitan is also spoken by a minority in the Occitan Valleys situated in the Provinces of...
.
In November 2010 the Christopher Columbus Foundation (FCL) was formed by Scajola in order to re-discover the original spirit of Forza Italia. The association was joined by Scajoliani and also by Antonio Martino
Antonio Martino
Antonio Martino is an Italian politician, who has been Minister of Foreign Affairs in 1994 and Italian Minister of Defense from 2001 to 2006. He is a founding member of Forza Italia, holding party card no. 2.-Career:...
, a former Liberal
Italian Liberal Party
The Italian Liberal Party was a liberal political party in Italy.-Origins:The origins of liberalism in Italy came from the so-called "Historical Right", a parliamentary group formed by Camillo Benso di Cavour in the Parliament of the Kingdom of Sardinia following the 1848 revolution...
who was number two of Forza Italia in 1994 and minister of Foreign Affairs in Berlusconi's first government
Berlusconi I Cabinet
The Berlusconi I Cabinet was the cabinet of the government of Italy from 10 May 1994 to January 17, 1995.It was composed of 26 ministers and 38 under-secretaries, for a total of 64 members.Composition of the government:...
, as well as other liberals, such as Gregorio Fontana, and leading Christian democrats of the party, including Mario Baccini
Mario Baccini
Mario Baccini is an Italian politician, former member of the Union of Christian and Centre Democrats and promoter of the White Rose.He started his political activity as town councilor in Rome, for the Christian Democracy...
and Osvaldo Napoli.
In early 2011 Scajola, who had been clared of any wrongdoing, started to prepare a strong comeback. At the beginning of March he declared that he had 62 MPs behind him and asked Berlusconi either a major role in the party organization or a return in government. Soon after Scajola criticized how the fusion between Forza Italia and National Alliance
National Alliance (Italy)
National Alliance was a conservative political party in Italy.Gianfranco Fini was the leader of the party since its foundation in 1995, however he stepped down in 2008 after being elected to the nominally non-partisan post of President of the Italian Chamber of Deputies and was succeeded by...
(AN) had been done, demanded a bigger role for those coming from Forza Italia and threatened to form separate parliamentary groups from the PdL.
The threat was renewed in October 2011, when Scajola and his followers asked for a new government, still led by Berlusconi, but with the Union of the Centre in it. A vote of confidence on Berlusconi's government was set on 14 October 2011, and Scajola announced that his group would vote for the government. However, he was not able two prevent two Venetian
Veneto
Veneto is one of the 20 regions of Italy. Its population is about 5 million, ranking 5th in Italy.Veneto had been for more than a millennium an independent state, the Republic of Venice, until it was eventually annexed by Italy in 1866 after brief Austrian and French rule...
deputies, Giustina Destro and Fabio Gava
Fabio Gava
Fabio Gava is an Italian politician.A member of the Italian Liberal Party since 1967, he joined Forza Italia in 1993 following his long-time friend Giancarlo Galan. Elected to the Regional Council of Veneto in 1995, he was floor leader of Forza Italia and regional minister of Budget in Galan I...
from voting against the government, which survived the vote anyway.
On 2 November Destro and Gava, along with Roberto Antonione, Giorgio Stracquadanio
Giorgio Stracquadanio
Giorgio Stracquadanio is an Italian politician and journalist.He began his political careers in the 1980s as activist of the Radical Party in Milan with the municipal councillor Tiziana Maiolo....
, Isabella Bertolini and Giancarlo Pittelli, promoted an open letter in which they asked Berlusconi to step down and called for a new executive. Four "moderate" Scajoliani (Paolo Russo, Pietro Testoni, Andrea Orsini and Guglielmo Picchi
Guglielmo Picchi
Guglielmo Picchi is an Italian politician. He graduated in Business at the University of Florence and with a Master of Business Administration from the SDA Bocconi Business school in Milan and contributed to the founding of the Forza Italia party in Tuscany in 1993.Picchi was elected to the City...
) were present at the meeting, but did not sign the letter. Contextually, Antonione announced that he was leaving the party.
Leadership
- President: Claudio ScajolaClaudio ScajolaClaudio Scajola is an Italian politician.-Career:A long-time Christian Democrat, he was mayor of Imperia in the Eighties, as his father and his brother had been. When Christian Democracy disbanded, he joined Forza Italia in 1995. He was then elected deputy in 1996 and was national coordinator of...
(2010–present)- Secretary-General: Paolo Russo (2010–present)
- Deputy Secretary-General: Massimo Berruti (2010–present)
- Treasurer: Giustina DestroGiustina DestroGiustina Mistrello Destro is an Italian politician and entrepreneur.An entrepreneur by profession, Destro joined politics relatively late in her life. In 1999 she formed a list for Padua municipal election and ran as an independent candidate for mayor, with the support of centre-right parties,...
(2010–present)
- Honorary President: Antonio MartinoAntonio MartinoAntonio Martino is an Italian politician, who has been Minister of Foreign Affairs in 1994 and Italian Minister of Defense from 2001 to 2006. He is a founding member of Forza Italia, holding party card no. 2.-Career:...
(2010–present) - President of the Political Committee: Mario BacciniMario BacciniMario Baccini is an Italian politician, former member of the Union of Christian and Centre Democrats and promoter of the White Rose.He started his political activity as town councilor in Rome, for the Christian Democracy...
(2010–present) - President of the Scientific Committee: Raffaele Lauro (2010–present)