Pier Ferdinando Casini
Encyclopedia
Pier Ferdinando Casini is an Italian politician
.
from 2001 to 2006. Casini is currently Honorary President of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), Co-President of the Christian Democratic International (with Vicente Fox
), and majority faction leader of the Union of the Centre
(UDC).Graduated with a degree in Law
, he was first elected in 1983 for the Christian Democracy
party. In 1993, he was amongst the founders of the Christian Democratic Centre (CCD), which merged into UDC in 2002. In 2001, after Berlusconi's victory in the general election, Casini was chosen by the newly-formed parliament as President of the Chamber of Deputies (the Italian lower house of parliament).
Up to 2006, with his Union of Christian and Centre Democrats, he was widely regarded as one of the primary members of the House of Freedoms
, and sometimes spoken of as a possible successor to Berlusconi himself as leader of the coalition.
However, as the campaign for the 2008 Italian elections
began, Casini officially detached himself from Berlusconi, refusing to enter his 'People of Freedom' (PDL, name of the new party builti on the House of Freedoms coalition), preferring to run alone. In a speech to his UDC party, Casini said that "not everyone is for sale", in a not so veiled statement about Berlusconi's political tactics. Casini ran on a purely 'centrist' platform, founding the new Union of the Centre
party along with Savino Pezzotta
's Rosa Bianca, and negotiating with other centre parties such as the UDEUR of Clemente Mastella
.
After 2008, he remained in opposition. At the 2009 Administrative elections, alliances were decided on a local bases, sometimes with Berlusconi PDL
,and sometimes with the center-left Democratic Party
.
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
.
Biography
President of the Italian Chamber of DeputiesItalian 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...
from 2001 to 2006. Casini is currently Honorary President of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), Co-President of the Christian Democratic International (with Vicente Fox
Vicente Fox
Vicente Fox Quesada is a Mexican former politician who served as President of Mexico from 1 December 2000 to 30 November 2006 and currently serves as co-President of the Centrist Democrat International, an international organization of Christian democratic political parties.Fox was elected...
), and majority faction leader of the Union of the Centre
Union of the Centre
Union of the Centre may refer to:*Union of the Centre , in Italy*Union of the Centre , in Italy...
(UDC).Graduated with a degree in 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...
, he was first elected in 1983 for the Christian Democracy
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 ....
party. In 1993, he was amongst the founders of the Christian Democratic Centre (CCD), which merged into UDC in 2002. In 2001, after Berlusconi's victory in the general election, Casini was chosen by the newly-formed parliament as President of the Chamber of Deputies (the Italian lower house of parliament).
Up to 2006, with his Union of Christian and Centre Democrats, he was widely regarded as one of the primary members of the House of Freedoms
House of Freedoms
The House of Freedoms , was a major Italian centre-right political and electoral alliance led by Silvio Berlusconi. It was initially composed of several political parties:*Forza Italia *National Alliance...
, and sometimes spoken of as a possible successor to Berlusconi himself as leader of the coalition.
However, as the campaign for the 2008 Italian elections
Italian general election, 2008
A snap general election was held in Italy on 13 April and 14 April 2008. The election came after President Giorgio Napolitano dissolved parliament on 6 February 2008 following the defeat of the government of Prime Minister Romano Prodi in a January 2008 Senate vote, and the unsuccessful tentative...
began, Casini officially detached himself from Berlusconi, refusing to enter his 'People of Freedom' (PDL, name of the new party builti on the House of Freedoms coalition), preferring to run alone. In a speech to his UDC party, Casini said that "not everyone is for sale", in a not so veiled statement about Berlusconi's political tactics. Casini ran on a purely 'centrist' platform, founding the new Union of the Centre
Union of the Centre
Union of the Centre may refer to:*Union of the Centre , in Italy*Union of the Centre , in Italy...
party along with Savino Pezzotta
Savino Pezzotta
Savino Pezzotta is an Italian trade unionist and politician, and the president of the White Rose party.-Trade unionist:Pezzotta was a textile worker since 1959...
's Rosa Bianca, and negotiating with other centre parties such as the UDEUR of Clemente Mastella
Clemente Mastella
Mario Clemente Mastella is an Italian politician. He is currently leader of Popular-UDEUR, a minor centrist Italian party. He was Minister of Labour in the Berlusconi government from 10 May 1994 to 17 January 1995, and Minister of Justice in the Prodi government from 17 May 2006 to 17 January 2008...
.
After 2008, he remained in opposition. At the 2009 Administrative elections, alliances were decided on a local bases, sometimes with Berlusconi PDL
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....
,and sometimes with the center-left 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....
.
External links
- Palazzo MontecitorioPalazzo MontecitorioThe Palazzo Montecitorio is a palace in Rome and the seat of the Italian Chamber of Deputies.- History :The building was originally designed by Gian Lorenzo Bernini for the young Cardinal Ludovico Ludovisi, nephew of Pope Gregory XV...
PalacePalaceA palace is a grand residence, especially a royal residence or the home of a head of state or some other high-ranking dignitary, such as a bishop or archbishop. The word itself is derived from the Latin name Palātium, for Palatine Hill, one of the seven hills in Rome. In many parts of Europe, the...
Montecitorio