Giuliano Pisapia
Encyclopedia
Giuliano Pisapia dʒuˈljaːno pizaˈpiːa (born 20 May 1949) is an Italian lawyer and politician, twice member of the Parliament (from 1996 to 2006) and Mayor of Milan since 1 June 2011. As a politician, he has been a member of two left-wings parties, first Proletarian Democracy
and then the Communist Refoundation Party
; in Milan's mayoral election, he was candidated by a large left-wing coalition, after winning the primary election
of the Democratic Party
with the strong support of Nichi Vendola
's Left Ecology Freedom. As a lawyer, he participated in a number of notable trials with political implications, including that of PKK leader Abdullah Öcalan
and the trial that followed the death of anti-global activist
Carlo Giuliani, shot by the police during the 27th G8 summit
.
of 1989. In the 1970s he joined Proletarian Democracy, a far-leftist party. After being a volunteer in the Red Cross and a student in Medicine
, a worker in a chemical factory, a teacher in the Beccaria youth detention center
, and an employee in a bank, he finally turned to political and law studies, getting a double degree
in Political Sciences and Law
, and joining his father's firm.
Pisapia's actitivity as a lawyer was strictly related to his political commitment, as he took part in a number of trials with explicit political implications. For example, he represented Arnaldo Forlani
in the Tangentopoli
scandal era, activist Ovidio Bompressi in the trial for the murder of Luigi Calabresi
, the family of anti-global
activist Carlo Giuliani
(shot dead by the police during the 27th G8 summit
), as well as the daughter of Davide Cesare
("Dax"), killed by a neonazist in 2003. He also participated in international trials, most notably in defense of Abdullah Öcalan
, leader of the Kurdish
militant organization PKK.
In 1995 Gian Domenico Pisapia died, and Giuliano refused to candidate for regional administrative elections to focus on his father's law firm. Nevertheless, in 1996 he joined the Communist Refoundation Party
led by Fausto Bertinotti
and was elected to the Parliament
. As a member of the Parliament, in 1998 he voted for the motion of confidence to Romano Prodi
's center-leftist government, despite the decision of the Bertinotti to vote against it (a decision that would eventually cause Prodi's resignation). After the failure of Prodi's government, Pisapia volunteered for a while in a refugee camp
on the border of Albania
. In 2001 he was re-elected to the Parliament, again for Communist Refoundation.
In 2011, with the support of Left Ecology Freedom, he became the left-wing candidate to the seat of Mayor of Milan (a traditional stronghold of the right wing and Silvio Berlusconi
) and unexpectedly defeated incumbent Mayor Letizia Moratti
on May 30.
At the beginning of the campaign, incumbent Mayor Letizia Moratti was thought to be largely advantaged, especially as Milan is traditionally a right-wing stronghold, the homeland of Silvio Berlusconi
's party (to which Moratti belongs), as well as a symbol of the alliance between Berlusconi and Umberto Bossi
's Lega Nord, a party that promotes a greater independence of Northern Italy. Both Bossi and Berlusconi repeatedly declared that the left wing had no chance to win the elections in Milan, and Berlusconi himself actively contributed in the campaign, possibly to reaffirm his appeal to the Italian people leveraging on the results of what was supposed to be an easy match. As Berlusconi had recently been involved in a number of controversial matters, including the so-called Ruby Gate
, many observers described the elections in Milan as a poll that would assess the popular support of Berlusconi's politics. This attracted much attention to this particular election (one of many administrative elections held in the same days in several locations in Italy).
In the first round of elections, on 15–16 May 2011, Pisapia got 48% of the votes and Moratti 41%. As none of them exceeded 50%, a second face-to-face round was scheduled for 29–30 May. This first success of Pisapia was one of a number of successes of the left wing in several other cities and provinces
. With the campaign reaching ever harsher tones than before, Pisapia finally won on 30 May, with 55% of the votes. Internet and social network
s played a relevant role in the election of Pisapia..
Proletarian Democracy
Proletarian Democracy was a political party in Italy.-1970s:DP was founded in 1975 as a joint electoral front of the Proletarian Unity Party , Workers Vanguard and the Workers Movement for Socialism...
and then the Communist Refoundation Party
Communist Refoundation Party
The Communist Refoundation Party is a communist Italian political party. Its current secretary is Paolo Ferrero....
; in Milan's mayoral election, he was candidated by a large left-wing coalition, after winning the primary election
Primary election
A primary election is an election in which party members or voters select candidates for a subsequent election. Primary elections are one means by which a political party nominates candidates for the next general election....
of the Democratic Party
Democratic Party (Italy)
The Democratic Party is a social-democratic political party in Italy, that is the second-largest in the country. The party is led by Pier Luigi Bersani, who was elected in the 2009 leadership election....
with the strong support of Nichi Vendola
Nichi Vendola
Nicola "Nichi" Vendola is an Italian left-wing politician and currently the President of Apulia.-Life:Born in Terlizzi, province of Bari , Vendola had been a member of the Italian Communist Youth Federation since the age of 14; he studied literature in university, presenting a dissertation about...
's Left Ecology Freedom. As a lawyer, he participated in a number of notable trials with political implications, including that of PKK leader Abdullah Öcalan
Abdullah Öcalan
Abdullah Öcalan , Kurdish founder of the terrorist organization called Kurdistan Workers' Party in 1978.Öcalan was captured in Nairobi and extradited to the Turkish security force, and sentenced to death under Article 125 of the Turkish Penal Code, which concerns the formation of armed gangs...
and the trial that followed the death of anti-global activist
Anti-globalization
Criticism of globalization is skepticism of the claimed benefits of the globalization of capitalism. Many of these views are held by the anti-globalization movement however other groups also are critical of the policies of globalization....
Carlo Giuliani, shot by the police during the 27th G8 summit
27th G8 summit
-Overview:The Group of Seven was an unofficial forum which brought together the heads of the richest industrialized countries: France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, the United States and Canada starting in 1976. The G8, meeting for the first time in 1997, was formed with the addition...
.
Biography
Giuliano Pisapia is the son of lawyer Gian Domenico Pisapia, who has contributed to the definition of the Italian Code of Criminal ProcedureItalian Code of Criminal Procedure
The Italian Code of Criminal Procedure contains the rules governing criminal procedure in every court in Italy.The first and initial code in the Italian Republic was established by the Fascist Government in 1930 and was kept until 1988. This code adopted an inquisitorial system...
of 1989. In the 1970s he joined Proletarian Democracy, a far-leftist party. After being a volunteer in the Red Cross and a student in Medicine
Medicine
Medicine is the science and art of healing. It encompasses a variety of health care practices evolved to maintain and restore health by the prevention and treatment of illness....
, a worker in a chemical factory, a teacher in the Beccaria youth detention center
Youth detention center
A youth detention center, also known as a juvenile detention center , juvenile hall or, more colloquially as juvie, is a secure residential facility for young people, often termed juvenile delinquents, awaiting court hearings and/or placement in long-term care facilities and programs...
, and an employee in a bank, he finally turned to political and law studies, getting a double degree
Academic degree
An academic degree is a position and title within a college or university that is usually awarded in recognition of the recipient having either satisfactorily completed a prescribed course of study or having conducted a scholarly endeavour deemed worthy of his or her admission to the degree...
in Political Sciences and Law
Law
Law is a system of rules and guidelines which are enforced through social institutions to govern behavior, wherever possible. It shapes politics, economics and society in numerous ways and serves as a social mediator of relations between people. Contract law regulates everything from buying a bus...
, and joining his father's firm.
Pisapia's actitivity as a lawyer was strictly related to his political commitment, as he took part in a number of trials with explicit political implications. For example, he represented Arnaldo Forlani
Arnaldo Forlani
This article is about the Italian legislator. For the similar name used as an alias by terrorist Ramzi Yousef for Philippine Airlines Flight 434, see Ramzi Yousef....
in the Tangentopoli
Tangentopoli
Tangentopoli is a term which was coined to describe pervasive corruption in the Italian political system exposed in the 1992-6 Mani Pulite investigations, as well as the resulting scandal, which led to the collapse of the hitherto dominant Christian Democracy party and its allies.-Popular distrust...
scandal era, activist Ovidio Bompressi in the trial for the murder of Luigi Calabresi
Luigi Calabresi
Luigi Calabresi , recipient of a gold medal of the Italian Republic for civil valor, was a commissioner of Italian police in Milan....
, the family of anti-global
Anti-globalization movement
The anti-globalization movement, or counter-globalisation movement, is critical of the globalization of corporate capitalism. The movement is also commonly referred to as the global justice movement, alter-globalization movement, anti-globalist movement, anti-corporate globalization movement, or...
activist Carlo Giuliani
Carlo Giuliani
Carlo Giuliani was an Italian anti-globalist who was shot dead by a police officer during the demonstrations against the Group of Eight summit that was held in Genoa from July 19 to July 21, 2001.-Incident:...
(shot dead by the police during the 27th G8 summit
27th G8 summit
-Overview:The Group of Seven was an unofficial forum which brought together the heads of the richest industrialized countries: France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, the United States and Canada starting in 1976. The G8, meeting for the first time in 1997, was formed with the addition...
), as well as the daughter of Davide Cesare
Davide Cesare
Davide Cesare, also known as Dax was an Italian anti-fascist activist from Brescia, who was stabbed to death by two far-right activists in Milan, the night of March 16, 2003. Cesare was brought to the hospital but died in the ambulance...
("Dax"), killed by a neonazist in 2003. He also participated in international trials, most notably in defense of Abdullah Öcalan
Abdullah Öcalan
Abdullah Öcalan , Kurdish founder of the terrorist organization called Kurdistan Workers' Party in 1978.Öcalan was captured in Nairobi and extradited to the Turkish security force, and sentenced to death under Article 125 of the Turkish Penal Code, which concerns the formation of armed gangs...
, leader of the Kurdish
Kurdish people
The Kurdish people, or Kurds , are an Iranian people native to the Middle East, mostly inhabiting a region known as Kurdistan, which includes adjacent parts of Iran, Iraq, Syria, and Turkey...
militant organization PKK.
In 1995 Gian Domenico Pisapia died, and Giuliano refused to candidate for regional administrative elections to focus on his father's law firm. Nevertheless, in 1996 he joined the Communist Refoundation Party
Communist Refoundation Party
The Communist Refoundation Party is a communist Italian political party. Its current secretary is Paolo Ferrero....
led by Fausto Bertinotti
Fausto Bertinotti
Fausto Bertinotti is an Italian politician and former leader of the Partito della Rifondazione Comunista. On April 29, 2006, after the center-left coalition's victory in the Italian general election, he was chosen by the new parliament as President of the Chamber of Deputies .-Trade...
and was elected to the Parliament
Parliament
A parliament is a legislature, especially in those countries whose system of government is based on the Westminster system modeled after that of the United Kingdom. The name is derived from the French , the action of parler : a parlement is a discussion. The term came to mean a meeting at which...
. As a member of the Parliament, in 1998 he voted for the motion of confidence to Romano Prodi
Romano Prodi
Romano Prodi is an Italian politician and statesman. He served as the Prime Minister of Italy, from 17 May 1996 to 21 October 1998 and from 17 May 2006 to 8 May 2008...
's center-leftist government, despite the decision of the Bertinotti to vote against it (a decision that would eventually cause Prodi's resignation). After the failure of Prodi's government, Pisapia volunteered for a while in a refugee camp
Refugee camp
A refugee camp is a temporary settlement built to receive refugees. Hundreds of thousands of people may live in any one single camp. Usually they are built and run by a government, the United Nations, or international organizations, or NGOs.Refugee camps are generally set up in an impromptu...
on the border of Albania
Albania
Albania , officially known as the Republic of Albania , is a country in Southeastern Europe, in the Balkans region. It is bordered by Montenegro to the northwest, Kosovo to the northeast, the Republic of Macedonia to the east and Greece to the south and southeast. It has a coast on the Adriatic Sea...
. In 2001 he was re-elected to the Parliament, again for Communist Refoundation.
In 2011, with the support of Left Ecology Freedom, he became the left-wing candidate to the seat of Mayor of Milan (a traditional stronghold of the right wing and 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...
) and unexpectedly defeated incumbent Mayor Letizia Moratti
Letizia Moratti
Letizia Brichetto-Arnaboldi Moratti is an Italian businesswoman and politician. She is the former mayor of Milan.-Biography:...
on May 30.
Mayor of Milan
In June 2010, Pisapia was the first to submit his own nomination as the Mayor of Milan, for the elections that would take place the following year. A number of intellectuals and notable people from the cultural and political elite of Milan immediately expressed their support of Pisapia. On November 14 he ran for the primary elections of the center-leftist coalition led by the Democratic Party, with the support of Nichi Vendola's Left Ecology Freedom, and unexpectedly won (receiving 45% preferences) despite not being an actual member of the DP.At the beginning of the campaign, incumbent Mayor Letizia Moratti was thought to be largely advantaged, especially as Milan is traditionally a right-wing stronghold, the homeland 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...
's party (to which Moratti belongs), as well as a symbol of the alliance between Berlusconi and Umberto Bossi
Umberto Bossi
Umberto Bossi is an Italian politician, leader of the Northern League, a party seeking autonomy or independence for Northern Italy. He is married to Manuela Marrone and has four sons ....
's Lega Nord, a party that promotes a greater independence of Northern Italy. Both Bossi and Berlusconi repeatedly declared that the left wing had no chance to win the elections in Milan, and Berlusconi himself actively contributed in the campaign, possibly to reaffirm his appeal to the Italian people leveraging on the results of what was supposed to be an easy match. As Berlusconi had recently been involved in a number of controversial matters, including the so-called Ruby Gate
Silvio Berlusconi underage prostitution charges
Silvio Berlusconi, former Prime Minister of Italy, is accused of paying Moroccan nightclub dancer Karima El Mahroug – also known by the stage name Ruby Rubacuori – for sexual services between February and May 2010 when she was under the age of 18Although neither sex with persons between...
, many observers described the elections in Milan as a poll that would assess the popular support of Berlusconi's politics. This attracted much attention to this particular election (one of many administrative elections held in the same days in several locations in Italy).
In the first round of elections, on 15–16 May 2011, Pisapia got 48% of the votes and Moratti 41%. As none of them exceeded 50%, a second face-to-face round was scheduled for 29–30 May. This first success of Pisapia was one of a number of successes of the left wing in several other cities and provinces
Provinces of Italy
In Italy, a province is an administrative division of intermediate level between a municipality and a region .-Overview:...
. With the campaign reaching ever harsher tones than before, Pisapia finally won on 30 May, with 55% of the votes. Internet and social network
Social network
A social network is a social structure made up of individuals called "nodes", which are tied by one or more specific types of interdependency, such as friendship, kinship, common interest, financial exchange, dislike, sexual relationships, or relationships of beliefs, knowledge or prestige.Social...
s played a relevant role in the election of Pisapia..
External links
- Official website A detailed report and analysis of data concerning Pisapia's Internet campaign