Pier Luigi Bersani
Encyclopedia
Pier Luigi Bersani (born 29 September 1951 in Bettola
) is an Italian
politician and the current Secretary of the Democratic Party of Italy, the main center-left political party in Italy . He was Minister of Industry, Commerce and Craftmanship from 1996 to 1999, Minister of Transports from 1999 to 2001, and Minister of Economic Development from 2006 to 2008. Since his election as Secretary of the Democratic Party of Italy in October 2009, he is de facto the parliamentary Leader of the Opposition.
, a mountain municipality in Nure
Valley, in the province of Piacenza
, Emilia-Romagna
region, Italy
. His father was a mechanic and a gas station clerk. After earning his high-school degree in Piacenza
, Bersani enrolled in the University of Bologna
where he graduated in philosophy with a dissertation on Pope Gregory I
. He married Mrs. Daniela Ferrari in 1980, and he has two daughters: Elisa and Margherita. After a short experience as teacher he committed his life to politics and public administration.
and subsequently the Democratic Party of the Left
. As member of the National Secretariat of the Democrats of the Left, he was responsible for the economic sector. Very young, he became Vice-President of the Mountain Community of Piacenza
, then elected in the Regional Council
of Emilia-Romagna
region
and Vice-President of Emilia-Romagna in 1990; he was President of Emilia-Romagna from 1993 to 1996.
he was Minister of Industry, Commerce and Craftmanship (1996–1999) and Minister of Transports
(1999–2001) in the center-left cabinets of Prodi, D'Alema, Amato
.
he was elected to the European Parliament
representing the North-West region for the Democrats of the Left
, part of the Socialist Group
, and sat on the European Parliament
's Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs
. He was a substitute for the Committee on the Internal Market and Consumer Protection, a member of the Delegation to the European Union
-Kazakhstan
, EU-Kyrgyzstan
and EU-Uzbekistan
Parliamentary Cooperation Committees, and for relations with Tajikistan
, Turkmenistan
and Mongolia
, and a substitute for the Delegation for relations with Belarus
. He left the European Parliament on his re-election to the Chamber of Deputies in 2006, and he was appointed as Minister of Economic Development in the government of Prime Minister Romano Prodi
on May 17, 2006.
assigned the Minister of Economic Development, Pier Luigi Bersani, the task of making reforms in order to achieve more market liberalization and competition. The minister responded with Decree Law 223 of 30 June 2006, later converted into Law 248/2006, popularly known as the “Bersani 1” decree on taxi drivers and pharmacies, although it addressed other sectors as well. The government’s policy of competition and liberalization would not to stop there. “Bersani 1” was followed by “Bersani 2” (decree 7 of 31 January 2007, converted into Law 40 of 2 April 2007), and then by a series of bills for the liberalization of the professions and television broadcasting, local public services, and energy, as well as the reduction and simplification of times and procedures for the start up of new businesses. Another bill proposed to rationalize the jurisdictions of the regulatory authorities, modifying and reinforcing their powers, particularly with regard to competition. Still another bill would introduce and regulate the judicial procedures for class action lawsuits.
and Ignazio Marino
in the Democratic Party leadership election
, thus becoming Italy's main opposition leader, scoring 55.1% among party members. Since November, 7 2009, as decided by the National Assembly, Pier Luigi Bersani officially took office as Secretary of the Democratic Party of Italy.
the NENS ("New Economy, New Society") think tank. He is also chairman of the Nuova Romea Society, born in 2002 with the objective of the development of Emilia-Romagna
and Veneto
territories.
Bettola
Bettola is a comune in the Province of Piacenza in the Italian region Emilia-Romagna, located about 140 km west of Bologna and about 30 km south of Piacenza.- Notable people:...
) is an Italian
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 and the current Secretary of the Democratic Party of Italy, the main center-left political party in Italy . He was Minister of Industry, Commerce and Craftmanship from 1996 to 1999, Minister of Transports from 1999 to 2001, and Minister of Economic Development from 2006 to 2008. Since his election as Secretary of the Democratic Party of Italy in October 2009, he is de facto the parliamentary Leader of the Opposition.
Early life
Pier Luigi Bersani was born September 29, 1951, in BettolaBettola
Bettola is a comune in the Province of Piacenza in the Italian region Emilia-Romagna, located about 140 km west of Bologna and about 30 km south of Piacenza.- Notable people:...
, a mountain municipality in Nure
Nure
The Nure is a small river in northern Italy . It has its source on the northern slopes of Mt. Nero The Nure (Latin Nura) is a small river in northern Italy (province of Piacenza). It has its source on the northern slopes of Mt. Nero The Nure (Latin Nura) is a small river in northern Italy...
Valley, in the province of Piacenza
Province of Piacenza
The Province of Piacenza is a province in the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy. Its capital is the city of Piacenza.The province has 273,689 inhabitants . Its total area is 2,589 km². There are 48 comuni in the province, see Comuni of the Province of Piacenza...
, Emilia-Romagna
Emilia-Romagna
Emilia–Romagna is an administrative region of Northern Italy comprising the two historic regions of Emilia and Romagna. The capital is Bologna; it has an area of and about 4.4 million inhabitants....
region, Italy
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...
. His father was a mechanic and a gas station clerk. After earning his high-school degree in Piacenza
Piacenza
Piacenza is a city and comune in the Emilia-Romagna region of northern Italy. It is the capital of the province of Piacenza...
, Bersani enrolled in the University of Bologna
University of Bologna
The Alma Mater Studiorum - University of Bologna is the oldest continually operating university in the world, the word 'universitas' being first used by this institution at its foundation. The true date of its founding is uncertain, but believed by most accounts to have been 1088...
where he graduated in philosophy with a dissertation on Pope Gregory I
Pope Gregory I
Pope Gregory I , better known in English as Gregory the Great, was pope from 3 September 590 until his death...
. He married Mrs. Daniela Ferrari in 1980, and he has two daughters: Elisa and Margherita. After a short experience as teacher he committed his life to politics and public administration.
Early political career
Bersani joined the Italian Communist PartyItalian Communist Party
The Italian Communist Party was a communist political party in Italy.The PCI was founded as Communist Party of Italy on 21 January 1921 in Livorno, by seceding from the Italian Socialist Party . Amadeo Bordiga and Antonio Gramsci led the split. Outlawed during the Fascist regime, the party played...
and subsequently the Democratic Party of the Left
Democratic Party of the Left
The Democratic Party of the Left was a post-communist, democratic socialist political party in Italy.-History:...
. As member of the National Secretariat of the Democrats of the Left, he was responsible for the economic sector. Very young, he became Vice-President of the Mountain Community of Piacenza
Piacenza
Piacenza is a city and comune in the Emilia-Romagna region of northern Italy. It is the capital of the province of Piacenza...
, then elected in the Regional Council
Regional Council (Italy)
Regional Council is the name of the elected legislative assembly of a Regione of Italy, excluded Sicily and Valley of Aosta, which parliament's name is, respectively, Sicilian Regional Assembly and Council of the Valley .-Origins:The regional idea was born, in Italy, during the national...
of Emilia-Romagna
Emilia-Romagna
Emilia–Romagna is an administrative region of Northern Italy comprising the two historic regions of Emilia and Romagna. The capital is Bologna; it has an area of and about 4.4 million inhabitants....
region
Regions of Italy
The regions of Italy are the first-level administrative divisions of the state, constituting its first NUTS administrative level. There are twenty regions, of which five are constitutionally given a broader amount of autonomy granted by special statutes....
and Vice-President of Emilia-Romagna in 1990; he was President of Emilia-Romagna from 1993 to 1996.
Center-left cabinets (1996-2001)
After the general election of 1996Italian general election, 1996
An early national general election was held in Italy on 21 April, 1996 to elect members of the Chamber of Deputies and the Senate of the Republic...
he was Minister of Industry, Commerce and Craftmanship (1996–1999) and Minister of Transports
Italian Minister of Transports
This is a list of the Italian Ministers of Transports. The list shows also the ministers that served under the same office but with other names. In fact this Ministry has changed name many times....
(1999–2001) in the center-left cabinets of Prodi, D'Alema, Amato
Amato
Amato is a comune and town in the province of Catanzaro in the Calabria region of Italy.-History:Amato is one of the oldest towns in Calabria. It is mentioned by the Greek philosopher Aristotle, who calls it "Portus Amati Fluminis" . It is also mentioned by the Roman Pliny the Elder in one of his...
.
European Parliament (2004-2006)
In 2004European Parliament election, 2004
Elections to the European Parliament were held from 10 June 2004 to 13 June 2004 in the 25 member states of the European Union, using varying election days according to local custom...
he was elected to the European Parliament
European Parliament
The European Parliament is the directly elected parliamentary institution of the European Union . Together with the Council of the European Union and the Commission, it exercises the legislative function of the EU and it has been described as one of the most powerful legislatures in the world...
representing the North-West region for the Democrats of the Left
Democrats of the Left
The Democrats of the Left was a social-democratic Italian political party and part of the Olive Tree electoral coalition, which merged with a number of centrist and leftist groups to form the Democratic Party on 14 October 2007...
, part of the Socialist Group
Party of European Socialists
The Party of European Socialists is a European political party led by Sergei Stanishev, former Prime Minister of Bulgaria. The PES comprises social-democratic national-level political parties primarily from Member state of the European Union, as well as other nations of the European continent. The...
, and sat on the European Parliament
European Parliament
The European Parliament is the directly elected parliamentary institution of the European Union . Together with the Council of the European Union and the Commission, it exercises the legislative function of the EU and it has been described as one of the most powerful legislatures in the world...
's Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs
Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs
The Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs is a committee of the European Parliament.Since Economic and Monetary Union , the most important function of this Committee has been in relation to the European Central Bank . Although guaranteed independence under the Treaty, the ECB is accountable...
. He was a substitute for the Committee on the Internal Market and Consumer Protection, a member of the Delegation to 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...
-Kazakhstan
Kazakhstan
Kazakhstan , officially the Republic of Kazakhstan, is a transcontinental country in Central Asia and Eastern Europe. Ranked as the ninth largest country in the world, it is also the world's largest landlocked country; its territory of is greater than Western Europe...
, EU-Kyrgyzstan
Kyrgyzstan
Kyrgyzstan , officially the Kyrgyz Republic is one of the world's six independent Turkic states . Located in Central Asia, landlocked and mountainous, Kyrgyzstan is bordered by Kazakhstan to the north, Uzbekistan to the west, Tajikistan to the southwest and China to the east...
and EU-Uzbekistan
Uzbekistan
Uzbekistan , officially the Republic of Uzbekistan is a doubly landlocked country in Central Asia and one of the six independent Turkic states. It shares borders with Kazakhstan to the west and to the north, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan to the east, and Afghanistan and Turkmenistan to the south....
Parliamentary Cooperation Committees, and for relations with Tajikistan
Tajikistan
Tajikistan , officially the Republic of Tajikistan , is a mountainous landlocked country in Central Asia. Afghanistan borders it to the south, Uzbekistan to the west, Kyrgyzstan to the north, and China to the east....
, Turkmenistan
Turkmenistan
Turkmenistan , formerly also known as Turkmenia is one of the Turkic states in Central Asia. Until 1991, it was a constituent republic of the Soviet Union, the Turkmen Soviet Socialist Republic . Turkmenistan is one of the six independent Turkic states...
and Mongolia
Mongolia
Mongolia is a landlocked country in East and Central Asia. It is bordered by Russia to the north and China to the south, east and west. Although Mongolia does not share a border with Kazakhstan, its western-most point is only from Kazakhstan's eastern tip. Ulan Bator, the capital and largest...
, and a substitute for the Delegation for relations with Belarus
Belarus
Belarus , officially the Republic of Belarus, is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe, bordered clockwise by Russia to the northeast, Ukraine to the south, Poland to the west, and Lithuania and Latvia to the northwest. Its capital is Minsk; other major cities include Brest, Grodno , Gomel ,...
. He left the European Parliament on his re-election to the Chamber of Deputies in 2006, and he was appointed as Minister of Economic Development in the government of Prime Minister 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...
on May 17, 2006.
Prodi II Cabinet (2006-2008)
The Prodi II CabinetProdi II Cabinet
The Prodi II Cabinet was the cabinet of the government of Italy from 17 May 2006 to 8 May 2008, a total of 722 days, or 1 year, 11 months and 21 days...
assigned the Minister of Economic Development, Pier Luigi Bersani, the task of making reforms in order to achieve more market liberalization and competition. The minister responded with Decree Law 223 of 30 June 2006, later converted into Law 248/2006, popularly known as the “Bersani 1” decree on taxi drivers and pharmacies, although it addressed other sectors as well. The government’s policy of competition and liberalization would not to stop there. “Bersani 1” was followed by “Bersani 2” (decree 7 of 31 January 2007, converted into Law 40 of 2 April 2007), and then by a series of bills for the liberalization of the professions and television broadcasting, local public services, and energy, as well as the reduction and simplification of times and procedures for the start up of new businesses. Another bill proposed to rationalize the jurisdictions of the regulatory authorities, modifying and reinforcing their powers, particularly with regard to competition. Still another bill would introduce and regulate the judicial procedures for class action lawsuits.
Secretary of the Democratic Party of Italy (2009-)
On October 25, 2009 he defeated incumbents Dario FranceschiniDario Franceschini
Dario Franceschini is an Italian lawyer, writer, and politician, who served as the second leader of the Democratic Party. He has been a prominent member of the Italian People's Party , of the Daisy and the first Deputy Secretary of the Democratic Party...
and Ignazio Marino
Ignazio Marino
Ignazio Marino is an Italian surgeon, specialising in liver transplantation, and politician in the Democratic Party. He is a member of the Italian Senate, being first elected in 2006.-Early life:...
in the Democratic Party leadership election
Democratic Party (Italy) leadership election, 2009
The 2009 Democratic Party leadership election was held in July–November 2009 following the resignation of Walter Veltroni in February 2009, after 16 months as secretary of the Democratic Party , the second-largest political party in Italy....
, thus becoming Italy's main opposition leader, scoring 55.1% among party members. Since November, 7 2009, as decided by the National Assembly, Pier Luigi Bersani officially took office as Secretary of the Democratic Party of Italy.
Other activities
In 2001 Bersani co-founded with Vincenzo ViscoVincenzo Visco
Vincenzo Alfonso Visco is an Italian politician and economist who has served as a government minister.He gained an MSc in Economics at the University of York in 1969 and was awarded an honorary degree in 2004....
the NENS ("New Economy, New Society") think tank. He is also chairman of the Nuova Romea Society, born in 2002 with the objective of the development of Emilia-Romagna
Emilia-Romagna
Emilia–Romagna is an administrative region of Northern Italy comprising the two historic regions of Emilia and Romagna. The capital is Bologna; it has an area of and about 4.4 million inhabitants....
and Veneto
Veneto
Veneto is one of the 20 regions of Italy. Its population is about 5 million, ranking 5th in Italy.Veneto had been for more than a millennium an independent state, the Republic of Venice, until it was eventually annexed by Italy in 1866 after brief Austrian and French rule...
territories.