Walter Veltroni

Walter Veltroni

62nd Mayor of Rome
In office
1 June 2001 – 13 February 2008
Preceded by Francesco Rutelli
Succeeded by Gianni Alemanno
Minister of Culture and Deputy Prime Minister of Italy
In office
17 May 1996 – 21 October 1998
Prime Minister Romano Prodi
Preceded by Antonio Paolucci
Succeeded by Giovanna Melandri
In office
October 14, 2007 – February 21, 2009
Preceded by none
Succeeded by Dario Franceschini
Born 3 July 1955 (1955-07-03) (age 55)
Rome, Italy
Political party Italian Communist Party (1976-1991)
Democratic Party of the Left (1991-1998)
Democrats of the Left (1998-2007)
Democratic Party (2007-present)
Spouse(s) Flavia Prisco
Children Martina, Vittoria
Profession Politician
Journalist
Writer
Religion None

Walter Veltroni (born 3 July 1955) is an Italian writer, journalist and politician, who served as the first leader of the Democratic Party within the centre-left opposition, until his resignation on 17 February 2009.[1] He also served as Mayor of Rome from 2001 to 2008.

Contents

Biography

Walter Veltroni was born in Rome. His father, Vittorio Veltroni, an eminent RAI manager in the 1950s, died only one year later.[2] His mother, Ivanka Kotnik, was the daughter of Ciril Kotnik, a Yugoslav diplomat at the Holy See who helped numerous Jews and antifascists to escape Nazi persecution after 1943.[3]

Political life

Veltroni joined the Federazione Giovanile Comunista Italiana (Italian Youth Communist Federation) at the age of 15, and was elected Rome city councilor in 1976 as member of the Italian Communist Party, serving until 1981. He was then elected to the Italian Chamber of Deputies in 1987. As a member of the Italian Communist Party's national secretariat in 1988, he played a leading role in the transformation into a social democratic party.

Veltroni, a professional journalist, was editor-in-chief of L'Unità, the newspaper of the Democratic Party of the Left from 1992 to 1996. He then successfully ran as vice-premier candidate, together with Romano Prodi, for the 1996 national election in Italy. In 1996 he joined the Bilderberg Group meeting, and was from 1996 to 1998 Minister for Cultural Assets and Activities. In 1998 he resigned, subsequent to his election as National Secretary of the Democrats of the Left (DS). Despite his background as a journalist, he has been involved in controversial episodes related to freedom of expression. For example in 2001, after the late night show Satyricon aired an interview that discussed indictments on links between the right-wing leader and the mafia, Marco Travaglio reported that Veltroni dispatched a messenger menacing the closure of the show.[4] America Award of the Italy-USA Foundation in 2009.

As Mayor of Rome

In 2001 Veltroni resigned as leader of the party after being elected Mayor of Rome. In May 2006 Veltroni was confirmed Mayor of Rome, easily defeating former Minister of Agriculture Gianni Alemanno, of National Alliance, obtaining an unprecedented 61.4% of the valid votes against the 37.1% achieved by his main opponent. The percentage of votes that supported Veltroni's second term in office was a record in local elections in Rome. Shortly before this confirmation, Veltroni had declared that he was going to leave politics at the end of his second term as Mayor.

In 2003 he received a honoris causa degree in Public Services by the John Cabot University of Rome. In 2006 Veltroni received the title of Cavaliere di Gran Croce (Knight of the Great Cross) from President of the Italian Republic Carlo Azeglio Ciampi.

In 2005, as mayor of Rome, he met in Washington, during a visit to the United States, then Illinois Senator, Barack Obama,[5] being one of his earliest supporters overseas.[6] He also wrote the preface to the Italian edition of The Audacity of Hope in 2007[7] and has been referred to as "Obama's European counterpart".[8]

Veltroni was then widely considered one of the most popular centre left politicians in Italy, and often singled out for the leadership of the Democratic Party, despite his statements that he would not accept such position after his tenure as Mayor would end. In June 2007, DS leader Piero Fassino publicly asked Veltroni to run for the party leadership, offering support from all of his party. Several other Democratic Party leading members publicly stated their support for a possible candidacy of Veltroni. Furthermore, the strongest of his possible contenders, Pier Luigi Bersani, which polls showed as having a 50% support in center-north regions,[9] withdrew to avoid a 'confusing candidacy'.[10] Veltroni officially presented his candidacy for the leadership of the Democratic Party at a rally in Turin on 27 June 2007. At this occasion he introduced the four key issues his programme would address: environment, generational pact, education, and public security.[11]

As leader of the Democratic Party

Veltroni was elected as the first leader of the newly-founded Democratic Party on 14 October 2007, winning an open primary with around 2.6 millions of votes, or 75.8%.[12]

In 2007, Veltroni had some remarks against the Romanian immigrants, claiming that Italy has become "unlivable" since Romania joined the European Union,[13] while before its entry, Rome was "the safest city in the world", bringing accusations of xenophobia from the Romanian press.[14]

Following the defeat of Prodi's government in a January 2008 Senate vote,[15] Veltroni led the Democratic Party into the April 2008 general election. Veltroni resigned as Mayor of Rome on 13 February 2008 to concentrate on the campaign.[16]

He has been criticised for his over-frequentation of Rome socialites and advised to focus on more practical problems.[17]

On 17 February 2009, following clashes within the party and only a day after a heavy defeat of the Democratic Party in a local regional election in Sardinia,[18] Veltroni announced his immediate resignation from his leadership post.[1] The Constituent Assembly of the party subsequently convened on February 21, 2009 and elected Veltroni's former deputy Dario Franceschini as the new secretary.[19]

Works

Veltroni has written a number of books on various topics, such as music, social issues, fiction, biographies and politics.

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 "Italian opposition leader resigns". BBC News. 2009-02-17. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7895525.stm. Retrieved 2009-02-17. 
  2. ↑ AteneOnline. "Chi è Walter Veltroni. Non solo politico" (in Italian). http://www.ateneonline-aol.it/070627elle.php. Retrieved 2007-07-01. 
  3. ↑ Testimony of the rabbi S. Sorani in the book: Robert G. Weisbord & Wallace P. Sillanpoa, The Chief Rabbi, the Pope, and the Holocaust: An Era in Vatican-Jewish Relations 1992, p. 64
  4. ↑ Travaglio, Marco; Daniele Luttazzi (08/11/2001). "Intervista a Daniele Luttazzi su La Repubblica" (in Italian). La Repubblica di Torino. http://213.215.144.81/public_html/articolo_2006.html. Retrieved 2007-06-22. "Dopo quella puntata famosa di Satyricon, Veltroni mandò un emissario alla mia regista per dire che, se non la smettevamo di fare casino, ci chiudevano loro" 
  5. ↑ Rome Mayor's Leadership Bid May Lead to Early Italian Elections
  6. ↑ VELTRONI A NEW YORK - Il politico prevale sull' amministratore
  7. ↑ Libreria Rizzoli Galleria
  8. ↑ Obama's European counterparts - "Los Angeles Times"
  9. ↑ "Pd: Letta-Bersani volano nel Nord in sondaggi riservati - Il Sole 24 ORE". http://www.ilsole24ore.com/art/SoleOnLine4/Attualita%20ed%20Esteri/Attualita/2007/07/Liste%20Pd.shtml?uuid=38f68f74-2a3d-11dc-a02d-00000e25108c&DocRulesView=Libero. Retrieved 2007-07-09. 
  10. ↑ "ANSA.it - PD: BERSANI, NON MI CANDIDO". http://www.ansa.it/opencms/export/site/visualizza_fdg.html_152953449.html. Retrieved 2007-07-09. , "RaiNews24 - Bersani rinuncia alla segreteria del Pd. "La mia candidatura avrebbe disorientato"". http://www.rainews24.it/notizia.asp?newsid=71705. Retrieved 2007-07-09. 
  11. ↑ "Italy's Left Looks Beyond Prodi". The Guardian. 2007-06-27. Archived from the original on 2008-01-30. http://web.archive.org/web/20080130191101/http://www.guardian.co.uk/worldlatest/story/0,,-6740560,00.html. Retrieved 2007-06-27. 
  12. ↑ "Rome Mayor Set to Win Left's Leadership". Associated Press. 2007-10-14. http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5gaub7_mP1t527m-tOD5bPJ-qogCgD8S99F100. Retrieved 2007-10-15. 
  13. ↑ "Romanian actress battles racism in Italy", The Independent, 10 October 2008
  14. ↑ (Romanian) "Romanii din afara granitelor - Cine le apara interesele?", 22, vol. 15, no. 928; 18 December 2007
  15. ↑ Elisabeth Rosenthal, "With Flawed System Unchanged, Italy Sets Elections for April", The New York Times, 7 February 2008.
  16. ↑ Steve Scherer, "Veltroni Resigns as Rome Mayor to Take on Berlusconi (Update1)", Bloomberg.com, 13 February 2008.
  17. ↑ "La dolce vita revisited: Rome's new emperor". The Independent. 2007-07-09. http://news.independent.co.uk/europe/article2717285.ece. Retrieved 2007-07-09. 
  18. ↑ Berlusconi's candidate wins elections in Sardinia
  19. ↑ "Italy's Left gets new leader". France 24. February 21, 2009. http://www.france24.com/en/20090221-italys-left-gets-new-leader-. Retrieved 2009-02-21. 

External links

Political offices
Preceded by
Antonio Paolucci
as Minister of Culture and Environment		 Minister of Culture and Deputy Prime Minister
1996 – 1998		 Succeeded by
Giovanna Melandri
as Minister of Culture and Environment
Preceded by
Francesco Rutelli		 Mayor of Rome
2001 – 2008		 Succeeded by
Gianni Alemanno
Party political offices
Preceded by
Massimo D'Alema		 Secretary of the Democrats of the Left
1998 – 2001		 Succeeded by
Piero Fassino
New title Secretary of the Democratic Party
2007 – 2009		 Succeeded by
Dario Franceschini
Party political offices
Preceded by
Achille Occhetto (1989-1992)		 Shadow President of the Council
2008 – 2009		 Title abolished