Marco Pannella
Encyclopedia
Giacinto Pannella, better known as Marco Pannella (born May 2, 1930) is an Italian
politician
.
He is the historic leader
of the Italian Radicals
(the first expression of the Radicals in post-World War II
Italy was the Italian Radical Party, founded in 1955). Since 1979, he is a Member of the European Parliament
, where he sits as a full member in the Committee on Legal Affairs
, in the Committee on Budgetary Control
and in the Delegation for relations with Israel
.
Pannella was born at Teramo
(Abruzzi) from an Italian father and a Swiss mother on May 2, 1930.
He is member of the European Parliament and President of the Nonviolent Radical Party.
At the age of 20, Marco Pannella was a national representative at the university level for the Italian Liberal Party (PLI), member of the student association Unione goliardica Italiana (UGI) and at 23 he was President of the Unione nazionale degli studenti, UNURI (National Union of Students).
At 24 he promoted the foundation of the Partito Radicale (hereinafter the “Radical Party
”). From 1960 to 1963, he was in Paris as a correspondent of the Italian newspaper Il Giorno
. In his political career, Mr. Pannella co-founded a series of organizations such as the Italian league for divorce, the League for objection of conscience, the League for the abrogation of the Agreement between the Catholic Church and the Italian State (Concordato), the Centre of legal initiative “Pietro Calamandrei”, as well as the Italian Association for Demographic Education (AIED). He has been at the forefront of the promotion important reforms regarding narcotics, facing incarceration on various occasions for his civil disobediences. He played a prominent role in the pro-choice movement in Italy that led to the legalization of abortion
in the early 1980s. He also promoted actions to grant electoral rights for Italians aged 18.
Engaged in the defence of civil rights
in Eastern European countries, in 1968, he was arrested in Sofia
for having distributed leaflets against the Communist regime.
He is one of the first promoters and founders of the Green
and ecologist
political movements in Europe.
Over the years, he has been engaged in Italy in the defence of civil rights as well as against the public financing of political parties and against corruption of Italian politics.
Since the 1970s, Mr. Pannella has promoted a series of referendum
s on themes ranging from social to political issues, in particular on those relating to the legality of the State, the rule of law and to the administration of justice.
He was elected to the European Parliament in 1979. He sat in the Technical Group of Independents
which was a technical alliance of left wing MEPs
who were not allied with either the Soviet influenced Communist parties or the mainstream Social Democratic parties. He served as chair of the group along with the hardline Irish Republican
Neil Blaney
and Danish left-wing Eurosceptic
Jens-Peter Bonde
.Throughout the 1980s, he promoted international anti-prohibitionist campaigns on drugs and was one of the founders of the Radical Antiprohibitionist Coordination (CORA) and of the International Antiprohibitionist League.
A believer in Gandhian nonviolence
, Mr. Pannella has carried out several hunger strikes in Italy and elsewhere to defend civil rights
and to end extermination through starvation
the world over. Pannella is currently on a hunger strike
, to protest against the death penalty. His strike was set off by the hanging of Saddam Hussein
[1].
A disciple of Altiero Spinelli
and Ernesto Rossi
, Mr. Pannella was one of the first European Federalists and fought, through nonviolent means, for the creation of the European Union
.
He was elected Secretary of the Radical Party in November 1981 and remained in office until November 1983. At the RP Congress in Budapest in 1989, he launched the creation of the Transnational Radical Party
of which he became president of the Federal Council on that occasion.
In 2003, he created together with other prominent European personalities the Medbridge Strategy Center, whose goal is to promote dialogue and mutual understanding between Europe
and the Middle-East.
He is honorary President of the Party of the Rom (ROI) in the Czech Republic and he is also honorary member of the Socialist Slovene Youth. The Jewish National Fund
(Hebrew: קרן קימת לישראל, Keren Kayemet LeYisrael) dedicated him a reforestation area in the desert of Negev in Israel.
In October 2011, he became a member of the French Federalist Party in order to take part in the founding convention of the European Federalist Party which took place on the 5 & 6 November 2011. Thus he became a founding member of the European Federalist Party
, composed of two elements:
"without jealousy". In the same interview, Pannella admitted to being bisexual and to have had "three or four" significant relationships with other men.
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
politician
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
.
He is the historic leader
Leadership
Leadership has been described as the “process of social influence in which one person can enlist the aid and support of others in the accomplishment of a common task". Other in-depth definitions of leadership have also emerged.-Theories:...
of the Italian Radicals
Italian Radicals
Italian Radicals is an Italian political party which describes itself as a liberale, liberista e libertario political movement .It was...
(the first expression of the Radicals in post-World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
Italy was the Italian Radical Party, founded in 1955). Since 1979, he is a Member of the European Parliament
Member of the European Parliament
A Member of the European Parliament is a person who has been elected to the European Parliament. The name of MEPs differ in different languages, with terms such as europarliamentarian or eurodeputy being common in Romance language-speaking areas.When the European Parliament was first established,...
, where he sits as a full member in the Committee on Legal Affairs
Committee on Legal Affairs
The Committee on Legal Affairs is a committee of the European Parliament.It is preparing many crucial decisions of the European Parliament. It met on 20 and 21 June 2005 and debated and voted on the Directive on the patentability of computer-implemented inventions.-External links:*...
, in the Committee on Budgetary Control
Committee on Budgetary Control
-Responsibilities of the committee:As the name suggests, the CONT is the European Parliament committee charged with producing reports relating to the European Union's Budget.-Membership: Members of the Committee -External links:*...
and in the Delegation for relations with Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
.
Biography
Teramo
Teramo is a city and comune in the central Italian region of Abruzzo, the capital of the province of Teramo.The city, from Rome, is situated between the highest mountains of the Apennines and the Adriatic coast...
(Abruzzi) from an Italian father and a Swiss mother on May 2, 1930.
He is member of the European Parliament and President of the Nonviolent Radical Party.
At the age of 20, Marco Pannella was a national representative at the university level for the Italian Liberal Party (PLI), member of the student association Unione goliardica Italiana (UGI) and at 23 he was President of the Unione nazionale degli studenti, UNURI (National Union of Students).
At 24 he promoted the foundation of the Partito Radicale (hereinafter the “Radical Party
Radical Party
-France:*Radical Party *Radical Party of the Left -Italy:*Radical Party *Radical Party *Italian Radicals *Radicals of the Left -Luxembourg:*Radical Party...
”). From 1960 to 1963, he was in Paris as a correspondent of the Italian newspaper Il Giorno
Il Giorno (newspaper)
Il Giorno is an Italian national newspaper based in Milan, Italy, with numerous local editions in Lombardy.- History :Founded by the Italian businessman Cino Del Duca in 1956, with the journalist Gaetano Baldacci, to challenge the newspaper Corriere della Sera...
. In his political career, Mr. Pannella co-founded a series of organizations such as the Italian league for divorce, the League for objection of conscience, the League for the abrogation of the Agreement between the Catholic Church and the Italian State (Concordato), the Centre of legal initiative “Pietro Calamandrei”, as well as the Italian Association for Demographic Education (AIED). He has been at the forefront of the promotion important reforms regarding narcotics, facing incarceration on various occasions for his civil disobediences. He played a prominent role in the pro-choice movement in Italy that led to the legalization of abortion
Abortion
Abortion is defined as the termination of pregnancy by the removal or expulsion from the uterus of a fetus or embryo prior to viability. An abortion can occur spontaneously, in which case it is usually called a miscarriage, or it can be purposely induced...
in the early 1980s. He also promoted actions to grant electoral rights for Italians aged 18.
Engaged in the defence of civil rights
Civil rights
Civil and political rights are a class of rights that protect individuals' freedom from unwarranted infringement by governments and private organizations, and ensure one's ability to participate in the civil and political life of the state without discrimination or repression.Civil rights include...
in Eastern European countries, in 1968, he was arrested in Sofia
Sofia
Sofia is the capital and largest city of Bulgaria and the 12th largest city in the European Union with a population of 1.27 million people. It is located in western Bulgaria, at the foot of Mount Vitosha and approximately at the centre of the Balkan Peninsula.Prehistoric settlements were excavated...
for having distributed leaflets against the Communist regime.
He is one of the first promoters and founders of the Green
Green politics
Green politics is a political ideology that aims for the creation of an ecologically sustainable society rooted in environmentalism, social liberalism, and grassroots democracy...
and ecologist
Ecology
Ecology is the scientific study of the relations that living organisms have with respect to each other and their natural environment. Variables of interest to ecologists include the composition, distribution, amount , number, and changing states of organisms within and among ecosystems...
political movements in Europe.
Over the years, he has been engaged in Italy in the defence of civil rights as well as against the public financing of political parties and against corruption of Italian politics.
Since the 1970s, Mr. Pannella has promoted a series of referendum
Referendum
A referendum is a direct vote in which an entire electorate is asked to either accept or reject a particular proposal. This may result in the adoption of a new constitution, a constitutional amendment, a law, the recall of an elected official or simply a specific government policy. It is a form of...
s on themes ranging from social to political issues, in particular on those relating to the legality of the State, the rule of law and to the administration of justice.
He was elected to the European Parliament in 1979. He sat in the Technical Group of Independents
Technical Group of Independents
Technical Groups of Independents may refer to two political groups of the European Parliament:*Technical Group of Independents *Technical Group of Independents...
which was a technical alliance of left wing MEPs
Member of the European Parliament
A Member of the European Parliament is a person who has been elected to the European Parliament. The name of MEPs differ in different languages, with terms such as europarliamentarian or eurodeputy being common in Romance language-speaking areas.When the European Parliament was first established,...
who were not allied with either the Soviet influenced Communist parties or the mainstream Social Democratic parties. He served as chair of the group along with the hardline Irish Republican
Irish Republicanism
Irish republicanism is an ideology based on the belief that all of Ireland should be an independent republic.In 1801, under the Act of Union, the Kingdom of Great Britain and the Kingdom of Ireland merged to form the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland...
Neil Blaney
Neil Blaney
Neil Terence Columba Blaney was a senior Irish politician. He was first elected to Dáil Éireann in 1948 as a Fianna Fáil Teachta Dála representing Donegal East. Blaney served as Minister for Posts and Telegraphs , Minister for Local Government and Minister for Agriculture and Fisheries...
and Danish left-wing Eurosceptic
EuroSceptic
EuroSceptic is the second album of British singer Jack Lucien. It was released in October 2009.Due to being an album influenced by Europop, it features songs with parts in different languages...
Jens-Peter Bonde
Jens-Peter Bonde
Jens-Peter Rossen Bonde is a former Member of the European Parliament with the June Movement. He resigned as an MEP in May 2008. Bonde was elected to the European Parliament in the first election in 1979 with the People's Movement against the EU. He has been re-elected 6 times consecutively...
.Throughout the 1980s, he promoted international anti-prohibitionist campaigns on drugs and was one of the founders of the Radical Antiprohibitionist Coordination (CORA) and of the International Antiprohibitionist League.
A believer in Gandhian nonviolence
Nonviolence
Nonviolence has two meanings. It can refer, first, to a general philosophy of abstention from violence because of moral or religious principle It can refer to the behaviour of people using nonviolent action Nonviolence has two (closely related) meanings. (1) It can refer, first, to a general...
, Mr. Pannella has carried out several hunger strikes in Italy and elsewhere to defend civil rights
Civil rights
Civil and political rights are a class of rights that protect individuals' freedom from unwarranted infringement by governments and private organizations, and ensure one's ability to participate in the civil and political life of the state without discrimination or repression.Civil rights include...
and to end extermination through starvation
Starvation
Starvation is a severe deficiency in caloric energy, nutrient and vitamin intake. It is the most extreme form of malnutrition. In humans, prolonged starvation can cause permanent organ damage and eventually, death...
the world over. Pannella is currently on a hunger strike
Hunger strike
A hunger strike is a method of non-violent resistance or pressure in which participants fast as an act of political protest, or to provoke feelings of guilt in others, usually with the objective to achieve a specific goal, such as a policy change. Most hunger strikers will take liquids but not...
, to protest against the death penalty. His strike was set off by the hanging of Saddam Hussein
Saddam Hussein
Saddam Hussein Abd al-Majid al-Tikriti was the fifth President of Iraq, serving in this capacity from 16 July 1979 until 9 April 2003...
[1].
A disciple of Altiero Spinelli
Altiero Spinelli
Altiero Spinelli was an Italian political theorist and a European federalist. Spinelli is referred to as one of the "Founding Fathers of the European Union" due to his co-authorship of the Ventotene Manifesto, his founding role in the European federalist movement, his strong influence on the first...
and Ernesto Rossi
Ernesto Rossi
Ernesto Rossi was an Italian politician, journalist and anti-fascist activist. His ideas contributed to the Partito d'Azione, and subsequently the Partito Radicaleco-authur of the Ventotene Manifesto. Rossi was born in Caserta....
, Mr. Pannella was one of the first European Federalists and fought, through nonviolent means, for the creation of the European Union
European Union
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
.
He was elected Secretary of the Radical Party in November 1981 and remained in office until November 1983. At the RP Congress in Budapest in 1989, he launched the creation of the Transnational Radical Party
Transnational Radical Party
The Transnational Radical Party is a political association of citizens, parliamentarians and members of government of various national and political backgrounds who intend to use nonviolent means to create an effective body of international law with respect for individuals and the...
of which he became president of the Federal Council on that occasion.
In 2003, he created together with other prominent European personalities the Medbridge Strategy Center, whose goal is to promote dialogue and mutual understanding between Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
and the Middle-East.
He is honorary President of the Party of the Rom (ROI) in the Czech Republic and he is also honorary member of the Socialist Slovene Youth. The Jewish National Fund
Jewish National Fund
The Jewish National Fund was founded in 1901 to buy and develop land in Ottoman Palestine for Jewish settlement. The JNF is a quasi-governmental, non-profit organisation...
(Hebrew: קרן קימת לישראל, Keren Kayemet LeYisrael) dedicated him a reforestation area in the desert of Negev in Israel.
In October 2011, he became a member of the French Federalist Party in order to take part in the founding convention of the European Federalist Party which took place on the 5 & 6 November 2011. Thus he became a founding member of the European Federalist Party
European Federalist Party
The European Federalist Party was founded in November 6, 2011 in Paris from the union of existing Europe United and Federalist Party . Its aim is to gather all Europeans to promote european federalism and to participate in all elections all over Europe.Presidents are Yves Gernigon and Pietro De...
Pannella's proposal for peace
On August 12, 2006, as reported by news agencies, Marco Pannella made a bold new proposal for World PeaceWorld peace
World Peace is an ideal of freedom, peace, and happiness among and within all nations and/or people. World peace is an idea of planetary non-violence by which nations willingly cooperate, either voluntarily or by virtue of a system of governance that prevents warfare. The term is sometimes used to...
, composed of two elements:
- Admission of IsraelIsraelThe State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
to the European UnionEuropean UnionThe European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
(see Accession of Israel to the European UnionAccession of Israel to the European Union-The EU-Israel Association Agreement :The EU-Israel Association Agreement forms the legal basis governing relations between Israel and the European Union, modelled on the network of Euro-Mediterranean Agreements between the Union and its partners in the southern flank of the Mediterranean Sea.The...
) - World-Wide SatyagrahaSatyagrahaSatyagraha , loosely translated as "insistence on truth satya agraha soul force" or "truth force" is a particular philosophy and practice within the broader overall category generally known as nonviolent resistance or civil resistance. The term "satyagraha" was conceived and developed by Mahatma...
for Peace, including co-ordinated hunger strikes around the world. Planned to begin on November 20.
Personal life
Pannella has never married and has no children. He has been living for several decades with girlfriend Mirella Paracchini. In 2010, he alluded in an interview to the fact that Paracchini and he had always been in an open relationshipOpen relationship
An open relationship is an interpersonal relationship in which the parties want to be together but agree to a form of a non-monogamous relationship. This means that they agree that a romantic or sexual relationship with another person is accepted, permitted, or tolerated...
"without jealousy". In the same interview, Pannella admitted to being bisexual and to have had "three or four" significant relationships with other men.