Nicola Cosentino
Encyclopedia
Nicola Cosentino is an Italian politician. He is currently the regional coordinator of Forza Italia
(Silvio Berlusconi
's party) in Campania
.
, one of Camorra
's strongholds near Naples
. He is a far relative of the Casalesi clan
boss Giuseppe Russo
.
Cosentino, a member of the Italian Socialist Democratic Party, was municipal counsellor in 1978-1980, then provincial counsellor from 1980 to 1995. In that year he was elected into the Italian Chamber of Deputies
for Forza Italia. In 2005 he ran for the Presidency of the Province of Caserta
, but was defeated by the centre-left candidate Sandro De Franciscis. Cosentino was re-elected to the Chamber of Deputies in April 2008 for the Popolo della Libertà, Berlusconi's alliance. In September of the same year, he was involved (through the confession of a camorra boss, Gaetano Vassallo of allowing illegal treatment of toxic wastes in exchange of a monthly sum of 50,000 Euros. In 2009 magistrates Naples' anti-mafia commission sent to the Chamber of Deputies the request of arrest for Cosentino, but the Chamber's commission refused.
In 2010 Cosentino was also involved in a scandal related to wind energy systems in Sardinia
, which led to the discovery of the so-called nuova P2 or P3 ("new Propaganda 2", the latter being a secret masonic lodge of the 1970s-early 1980s, of which Berlusconi was a member). He was called in by several entrepreneurs and Popolo della Libertà politicians. According to Rome's Tribunal, the accuses were::
On 14 July 2010, Cosentino resigned as undersecretary of the Italian Ministry of Economy, although he retained the role as regional coordinator of Popolo della Libertà in Campania.
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....
(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) in Campania
Campania
Campania is a region in southern Italy. The region has a population of around 5.8 million people, making it the second-most-populous region of Italy; its total area of 13,590 km² makes it the most densely populated region in the country...
.
Biography
Cosentino was born in Casal di PrincipeCasal di Principe
Casal di Principe is a comune in the Province of Caserta in the Italian region Campania, located about 25 km northwest of Naples and about 20 km southwest of Caserta....
, one of Camorra
Camorra
The Camorra is a Mafia-type criminal organization, or secret society, originating in the region of Campania and its capital Naples in Italy. It is one of the oldest and largest criminal organizations in Italy, dating to the 18th century.-Background:...
's strongholds near Naples
Naples
Naples is a city in Southern Italy, situated on the country's west coast by the Gulf of Naples. Lying between two notable volcanic regions, Mount Vesuvius and the Phlegraean Fields, it is the capital of the region of Campania and of the province of Naples...
. He is a far relative of the Casalesi clan
Casalesi clan
The Casalesi clan is a clan within the Camorra, an Italian criminal organization, operating from Casal di Principe in the province of Caserta between Naples and Salerno.Formed by Antonio Bardellino, it is a confederation of clans in the Caserta area...
boss Giuseppe Russo
Giuseppe Russo
Giuseppe Russo is an Italian footballer who currently plays for Hellas Verona.He made his Serie B debut with Crotone in the 2001/2002 season.- External links :...
.
Cosentino, a member of the Italian Socialist Democratic Party, was municipal counsellor in 1978-1980, then provincial counsellor from 1980 to 1995. In that year he was elected into the Italian Chamber of Deputies
Italian Chamber of Deputies
The Italian Chamber of Deputies is the lower house of the Parliament of Italy. It has 630 seats, a plurality of which is controlled presently by liberal-conservative party People of Freedom. Twelve deputies represent Italian citizens outside of Italy. Deputies meet in the Palazzo Montecitorio. A...
for Forza Italia. In 2005 he ran for the Presidency of the Province of Caserta
Province of Caserta
The Province of Caserta is a province in the Campania region of Italy. Its capital is the city of Caserta. The former royal palace of Caserta is located near to the city.It has an area of 2,639 km², and a total population of 879,342...
, but was defeated by the centre-left candidate Sandro De Franciscis. Cosentino was re-elected to the Chamber of Deputies in April 2008 for the Popolo della Libertà, Berlusconi's alliance. In September of the same year, he was involved (through the confession of a camorra boss, Gaetano Vassallo of allowing illegal treatment of toxic wastes in exchange of a monthly sum of 50,000 Euros. In 2009 magistrates Naples' anti-mafia commission sent to the Chamber of Deputies the request of arrest for Cosentino, but the Chamber's commission refused.
In 2010 Cosentino was also involved in a scandal related to wind energy systems in Sardinia
Sardinia
Sardinia is the second-largest island in the Mediterranean Sea . It is an autonomous region of Italy, and the nearest land masses are the French island of Corsica, the Italian Peninsula, Sicily, Tunisia and the Spanish Balearic Islands.The name Sardinia is from the pre-Roman noun *sard[],...
, which led to the discovery of the so-called nuova P2 or P3 ("new Propaganda 2", the latter being a secret masonic lodge of the 1970s-early 1980s, of which Berlusconi was a member). He was called in by several entrepreneurs and Popolo della Libertà politicians. According to Rome's Tribunal, the accuses were::
- pushing the Constitutional court to legitimate the Lodo AlfanoLodo AlfanoThe Lodo Alfano , named after Berlusconi's Minister of Justice Angelino Alfano, was an Italian law, valid between 2008 and 2009, granting immunity from prosecution to the four highest political offices in Italy...
(a law which would have saved Berlusconi from several of his trial, and which was finally declared invalid) - supporting the readmitting of the regional list "Per la Lombardia" in the regional elections in LombardyLombardyLombardy 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...
, which had been banned due to use of fake signatures - favouring the appointment of Alfonso Marra in the Court of Appeal in MilanMilanMilan 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 ,...
- supporting the candidature of Cosentino as governor of Campania through a denigrating campaign against the other Popolo della Libertà's candidate.
On 14 July 2010, Cosentino resigned as undersecretary of the Italian Ministry of Economy, although he retained the role as regional coordinator of Popolo della Libertà in Campania.
External links
- Page at Italy' Chamber of Deputies website
- http://espresso.repubblica.it/dettaglio/Siamo-tutti-casalesi/2042418&ref=hpsp"Siamo tutti casalesi", Page at L'espressoL'Espressol'Espresso is an Italian newsmagazine. It is one of the two most prominent Italian weeklies, the other being Panorama. Since the latter has been acquired by right-wing tycoon and politician Silvio Berlusconi, l'Espresso enjoys the reputation of being the main politically independent newsmagazine...
website about the accuses of camorra allegiance against Cosentino and the wastes scandal] - "Italian govt aide accused of Mafia collusion", page at euronews.net