Mariastella Gelmini
Encyclopedia
Mariastella Gelmini, is an Italian politician and attorney
(specialised in administrative law
). She served as Italian Minister of Education in the Berlusconi IV Cabinet
until November 16, 2011.
.
Member of the Forza Italia
political movement of Silvio Berlusconi
since its foundation in 1994, during the same year she became chairperson of the "Azzurri
" club in Desenzano del Garda
settling the first representation of Forza Italia in the Province of Brescia
.
In 1998 she was the first elected in the administrative poll in Desenzano del Garda
and became the president of the city council until 2000, in which year a motion of no confidence against her eventually passed.
Gelmini passed her bar exam in 2001 in Reggio Calabria
, far away from her home town and the university where she graduated, as the academic standards in that city were low and pass rate suspiciously high.
In 2002 she was elected as concillor of the Province of Brescia. During her term in office she devised the "Piano Territoriale di Coordinamento Provinciale", by virtue of which the environmentally protected areas of Parco della rocca e del sasso di Manerba, Parco delle colline di Brescia and Parco del lago Moro were established.
In 2005 She was elected as member of the regional council of Lombardy
resulting the most voted candidate among the Lombard constituencies. After this electoral success, she became Forza Italia
's political chief in Lombardy
, i.e. coordinatore regionale.
In 2006 Mariastella Gelmini was elected as member of the Chamber of Deputies, the lower house
of the Italian Parliament.
On 18 November 2007, she was in Piazza San Babila in Milan
when Silvio Berlusconi announced the birth of the Popolo della Libertà political movement and subsequently she became member of the founding committee of the party. Since 2008 she has served in the Italian Government as Minister of Education in the Berlusconi IV Cabinet
. In the same year she was re-elected in the Chamber of Deputies.
In October 2008 demonstrations took place across Italy against the school reform proposed by Gelmini. In 2009 the reform was approved. On 8 October 2010 further demonstrations by students occurred in all the major Italian cities against Gelmini's recent reforms.
On 23 September 2011 she attracted widespread criticism for a statement released on the Education ministry website, with regard to the breakthrough at the Gran Sasso laboratory in Abruzzo, Italy, where neutrinos
were recorded at a speed greater than the speed of light.
The statement wrongly declares that the Italian Government had contributed to building a tunnel between the Gran Sasso National Laboratory and CERN
in Switzerland. Such a tunnel does not exist. The two locations are approximately 750 km apart. This statement caused controversy both in and outside Italy.
Attorney at law
An attorney at law in the United States is a practitioner in a court of law who is legally qualified to prosecute and defend actions in such court on the retainer of clients. Alternative terms include counselor and lawyer...
(specialised in administrative law
Administrative law
Administrative law is the body of law that governs the activities of administrative agencies of government. Government agency action can include rulemaking, adjudication, or the enforcement of a specific regulatory agenda. Administrative law is considered a branch of public law...
). She served as Italian Minister of Education in the Berlusconi IV Cabinet
Berlusconi IV Cabinet
Berlusconi IV Cabinet has been the cabinet of the government of Italy from 8 May 2008 to 16 November 2011.As of July 2011, it was composed of 24 ministers, 4 deputy ministers and 39 under-secretaries, for a total of 67 members.-Sources:*...
until November 16, 2011.
Political career
Gelmini was born in Leno, ItalyItaly
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...
.
Member of the 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....
political movement 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...
since its foundation in 1994, during the same year she became chairperson of the "Azzurri
Azzurri
Azzurri is the Italian plural form of azzurro, light blue . Light blue was the official color of the Savoia family, Italy's monarchs until 1946. For this reason azure is the color usually worn by Italians in sport events....
" club in Desenzano del Garda
Desenzano del Garda
Desenzano del Garda is a town and comune in the province of Brescia, in Lombardy, Italy, which borders Lake Garda. It is bordered by other communes of Castiglione delle Stiviere, Lonato, Padenghe sul Garda and Sirmione.-History:...
settling the first representation of Forza Italia in the Province of Brescia
Province of Brescia
The Province of Brescia is a Province in Lombardy, Italy. It borders with the province of Sondrio in the N and NW, the province of Bergamo in the W, province of Cremona in the SW and S, the province of Mantova to the S, and to the east, the province of Verona and Trentino .Source for statistical...
.
In 1998 she was the first elected in the administrative poll in Desenzano del Garda
Desenzano del Garda
Desenzano del Garda is a town and comune in the province of Brescia, in Lombardy, Italy, which borders Lake Garda. It is bordered by other communes of Castiglione delle Stiviere, Lonato, Padenghe sul Garda and Sirmione.-History:...
and became the president of the city council until 2000, in which year a motion of no confidence against her eventually passed.
Gelmini passed her bar exam in 2001 in Reggio Calabria
Reggio Calabria
Reggio di Calabria , commonly known as Reggio Calabria or Reggio, is the biggest city and the most populated comune of Calabria, southern Italy, and is the capital of the Province of Reggio Calabria and seat of the Council of Calabrian government.Reggio is located on the "toe" of the Italian...
, far away from her home town and the university where she graduated, as the academic standards in that city were low and pass rate suspiciously high.
In 2002 she was elected as concillor of the Province of Brescia. During her term in office she devised the "Piano Territoriale di Coordinamento Provinciale", by virtue of which the environmentally protected areas of Parco della rocca e del sasso di Manerba, Parco delle colline di Brescia and Parco del lago Moro were established.
In 2005 She was elected as member of the regional council of Lombardy
Lombardy
Lombardy is one of the 20 regions of Italy. The capital is Milan. One-sixth of Italy's population lives in Lombardy and about one fifth of Italy's GDP is produced in this region, making it the most populous and richest region in the country and one of the richest in the whole of Europe...
resulting the most voted candidate among the Lombard constituencies. After this electoral success, she became 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....
's political chief in Lombardy
Lombardy
Lombardy is one of the 20 regions of Italy. The capital is Milan. One-sixth of Italy's population lives in Lombardy and about one fifth of Italy's GDP is produced in this region, making it the most populous and richest region in the country and one of the richest in the whole of Europe...
, i.e. coordinatore regionale.
In 2006 Mariastella Gelmini was elected as member of the Chamber of Deputies, the lower house
Lower house
A lower house is one of two chambers of a bicameral legislature, the other chamber being the upper house.Despite its official position "below" the upper house, in many legislatures worldwide the lower house has come to wield more power...
of the Italian Parliament.
On 18 November 2007, she was in Piazza San Babila in Milan
Milan
Milan is the second-largest city in Italy and the capital city of the region of Lombardy and of the province of Milan. The city proper has a population of about 1.3 million, while its urban area, roughly coinciding with its administrative province and the bordering Province of Monza and Brianza ,...
when Silvio Berlusconi announced the birth of the Popolo della Libertà political movement and subsequently she became member of the founding committee of the party. Since 2008 she has served in the Italian Government as Minister of Education in the Berlusconi IV Cabinet
Berlusconi IV Cabinet
Berlusconi IV Cabinet has been the cabinet of the government of Italy from 8 May 2008 to 16 November 2011.As of July 2011, it was composed of 24 ministers, 4 deputy ministers and 39 under-secretaries, for a total of 67 members.-Sources:*...
. In the same year she was re-elected in the Chamber of Deputies.
In October 2008 demonstrations took place across Italy against the school reform proposed by Gelmini. In 2009 the reform was approved. On 8 October 2010 further demonstrations by students occurred in all the major Italian cities against Gelmini's recent reforms.
On 23 September 2011 she attracted widespread criticism for a statement released on the Education ministry website, with regard to the breakthrough at the Gran Sasso laboratory in Abruzzo, Italy, where neutrinos
Neutrino
A neutrino is an electrically neutral, weakly interacting elementary subatomic particle with a half-integer spin, chirality and a disputed but small non-zero mass. It is able to pass through ordinary matter almost unaffected...
were recorded at a speed greater than the speed of light.
The statement wrongly declares that the Italian Government had contributed to building a tunnel between the Gran Sasso National Laboratory and CERN
CERN
The European Organization for Nuclear Research , known as CERN , is an international organization whose purpose is to operate the world's largest particle physics laboratory, which is situated in the northwest suburbs of Geneva on the Franco–Swiss border...
in Switzerland. Such a tunnel does not exist. The two locations are approximately 750 km apart. This statement caused controversy both in and outside Italy.