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Walter Veltroni

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Walter Veltroni
Veltroni in 2015
Secretary of the Democratic Party
In office
14 October 2007 – 21 February 2009
Preceded byPosition established
Succeeded byDario Franceschini
Mayor of Rome
In office
1 June 2001 – 13 February 2008
Preceded byFrancesco Rutelli
Succeeded byGianni Alemanno
Deputy Prime Minister of Italy
In office
17 May 1996 – 21 October 1998
Prime MinisterRomano Prodi
Preceded byRoberto Maroni
Giuseppe Tatarella
Succeeded bySergio Mattarella
Minister of Cultural Heritage
In office
17 May 1996 – 21 October 1998
Prime MinisterRomano Prodi
Preceded byAntonio Paolucci
Succeeded byGiovanna Melandri
Member of theChamber of Deputies
In office
29 April 2008 – 14 March 2013
ConstituencyLazio
In office
2 July 1987 – 30 May 2001
ConstituencyRome(1987–1992; 1996–2001)
Perugia(1992–1994)
Gubbio(1994–1996)
Personal details
Born
Walter Veltroni

(1955-07-03)3 July 1955(age 69)
Rome, Italy
Political party
  • PCI(1970–1991)
  • PDS(1991–1998)
  • DS(1998–2007)
  • PD(since 2007)
Height1.83 m (6 ft 0 in)
SpouseFlavia Prisco
Children2
OccupationFilm director, ex politician
Signature

Walter VeltroniOMRI(Italian pronunciation:[ˈvaltervelˈtroːni];born 3 July 1955) is an Italian writer, film director, journalist, and politician. He served as the first leader of theDemocratic Partywithin theItalian centre-leftopposition until his resignation on 17 February 2009.[1]He also served asmayor of Romefrom June 2001 to February 2008.

Early life and family

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Veltroni was born in Rome. His father, Vittorio Veltroni, an eminentRAImanager in the 1950s, died one year after his birth.[2]His mother, Ivanka Kotnik, was the daughter ofCiril Kotnik,a Slovenian diplomat at theHoly Seewho helped numerousJewsand anti-fascists to escapeNazipersecution after 1943.[3]

Political career

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Veltroni joined theItalian Communist Youth Federation(FGCI) at the age of 15, and was elected Rome city councillor in 1976 as a member of theItalian Communist Party(PCI), serving until 1981. He was then elected to theChamber of Deputiesin 1987. As a member of the PCI's national secretariat in 1988, he played a leading role in the transformation into asocial democraticparty.[citation needed]

Veltroni, a professional journalist, was editor-in-chief ofL'Unità,the newspaper of theDemocratic Party of the Left(PDS) from 1992 to 1996. He then ran as one of the leading members ofThe Olive Treecoalition in the1996 Italian general election.After The Olive Tree's victory, he served asDeputy Prime Minister of ItalyandMinister for Cultural Assets and Activitiesfrom 1996 to 1998, joining 25 other PDS members in the cabinet, which was the first former PCI members to take part in government since 1947. Also in 1996, he joined theBilderberg Meeting.In 1998, he resigned, subsequent to his election as National Secretary of theDemocrats 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 showSatyriconaired an interview that discussed indictments on links between the right-wing leader and the mafia,Marco Travaglioreported that Veltroni dispatched a messenger menacing the closure of the show.[4]

Mayor of Rome

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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 defeatingGianni Alemanno,a formerMinister of Agricultureand then a member ofNational Alliance,obtaining an unprecedented 61.4% of the valid votes against the 37.1% achieved by Alemanno. 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.[citation needed]In 2005, as mayor of Rome, he met in Washington during a visit to the United States the then United States senatorBarack Obama,[5]being one of his earliest supporters overseas.[6]He wrote the preface to the Italian edition ofThe Audacity of Hopein 2007,[7]and has been referred to as "Obama's European counterpart".[8]

By 2007, Veltroni was widely considered one of the most popular centre-left politicians in Italy, and often singled out for the leadership of theDemocratic Party(PD), despite his statements that he would not accept such position after his tenure as mayor would end. In June 2007, DS leaderPiero Fassinopublicly asked Veltroni to run for the party leadership, offering support from all of his party. Several other PD 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 regions of Central and Northern Italy,[9]withdrew to avoid a "confusing candidacy".[10]Veltroni officially presented his candidacy for the leadership of the PD 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]

Leader of the Democratic Party

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Veltroni during the electoral campaign in April 2008

Veltroni was elected as the first leader of the newly founded PD on 14 October 2007, winning an open primary with around 2.6 million 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 the2008 Italian political crisisthat led to the defeat ofRomano Prodi's government in a January vote in theSenate of the Republic,[15]Veltroni led the PD into the2008 Italian general electionon 13–14 April 2008. Veltroni resigned as mayor of Rome on 13 February 2008 to concentrate on the campaign.[16]He was criticized for his over-frequentation of Rome socialites and was 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 PD in the2009 Sardinian regional election,[18]Veltroni announced his immediate resignation from his leadership post.[1]The Constituent Assembly of the party subsequently convened on 21 February 2009 and elected Veltroni's former deputyDario Franceschinias the new secretary.[19]

Public image

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On 28 September 2014, inVenice,Italy,[20][21][22]Veltroni was responsible of marryingGeorge ClooneytoAmal Alamuddin.[22][23]The wedding was widely reported in the media.[24]

Awards

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In 2003, Veltroni received anhonoris causadegree in Public Services from theJohn Cabot Universityof Rome. In 2006, he received the title ofCavaliere di Gran Croce(Knight of the Grand Cross) from the then-Italian presidentCarlo Azeglio Ciampi.He won the America Award of theItaly-USA Foundationin 2009.[25]

Works

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

  • 1977 –Il PCI e la questione giovanile( "The PCI and the Youth Issue" )
  • 1978 –A dieci anni dal '68. Intervista conAchille Occhetto( "Ten Years Since 1968: Interview with Achille Occhetto" )
  • 1981 –Il sogno degli anni sessanta( "The Dream of the Sixties" )
  • 1982 –Il calcio è una scienza da amare( "Football Is a Science to Be Loved" )
  • 1990 –Io eBerlusconi(e la Rai)( "Me and Berlusconi (and RAI)" )
  • 1992 –I programmi che hanno cambiato l'Italia( "Programs that Changed Italy" )
  • 1992 –Il sogno spezzato. Le idee diRobert Kennedy( "The Broken Dream: The ideas of Robert Kennedy" )
  • 1992 –La sfida interrotta. Le idee diEnrico Berlinguer( "The Interrupted Challenge: The ideas of Enrico Berlinguer" )
  • 1994 –Certi piccoli amori( "Certain Small Loves" )
  • 1995 –La bella politica(interview book) ( "Politics, the Beautiful" )
  • 1997 –Certi piccoli amori 2( "Certain Small Loves 2" )
  • 1997 –Governare da sinistra( "To Govern from the Left" )
  • 2000 –I care. Con videocassetta( "I Care: With Videotape" )
  • 2000 –Forse Dio è malato. Diario di un viaggio africano( "Perhaps God Is Sick: Diary of an African journey" )
  • 2003 –Il disco del mondo. Vita breve diLuca Flores,musicista( "The Disc of the World: Short Life of Luca Flores, the Musician" )
  • 2004 –Senza Patricio( "Without Patricio" )
  • 2006 –La scoperta dell'alba( "Discovery of the Dawn" )
  • 2007 – Preface to Barack Obama,L'audacia della speranza(The Audacity of Hope)
  • 2009 –Noi( "We" )
  • 2019 –Assassinio a Villa Borghese( "Murder at Villa Borghese" )
  • 2024 –La Condanna( "The Sentence" )

Filmography

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Film director

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  • 2014 –Quando c'era Berlinguer( "When Berlinguer Was There" )
  • 2015 –I bambini sanno( "Children Know" )
  • 2016 –Gli occhi cambiano( "Eyes Change" )
  • 2017 –Indizi di felicità( "Clues to Happiness" )
  • 2018 –Tutto davanti a questi occhi( "All Before These Eyes" )
  • 2019 –C'è tempo( "There Is Time" )

Electoral history

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Election House Constituency Party Votes Result
1987 Chamber of Deputies Rome–Viterbo–Latina–Frosinone PCI 19,258 checkYElected
1992 Chamber of Deputies Perugia–Terni–Rieti PDS 25,981 checkYElected
1994 Chamber of Deputies Gubbio PDS 38,815 checkYElected
1996 Chamber of Deputies Rome Centre PDS 35,086 checkYElected
2008 Chamber of Deputies Lazio2 PD [a] checkYElected
  1. ^Elected in aclosed listproportional representation system

First-past-the-post elections

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1994 general election(C):Gubbio
Candidate Coalition Votes %
Walter Veltroni Progressives(PDS) 38,815 48.1
Francesca Caccinelli Pole of Good Government(FI) 28,445 35.3
Marcello Piccini Pact for Italy(PS) 13,431 16.6
Total 80,691 100.0
1996 general election(C):Rome Centre
Candidate Coalition Votes %
Walter Veltroni The Olive Tree(PDS) 35,086 49.9
Filippo Mancuso Pole for Freedoms(FI) 32,203 45.8
Isabella Rauti Tricolour Flame 3,016 4.3
Total 70,305 100.0

References

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  1. ^ab"Italian opposition leader resigns".BBC News.17 February 2009.Retrieved29 June2015.
  2. ^Maggiore, Laura (27 June 2007)."Chi è Walter Veltroni. Non solo politico".AteneOnline(in Italian). Archived fromthe originalon 27 September 2007.Retrieved1 July2007.
  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(8 November 2001)."Intervista a Daniele Luttazzi su La Repubblica"(in Italian).La Repubblicadi Torino. Archived fromthe originalon 27 September 2007.Retrieved22 June2007.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. ^Scherer, Steve (12 September 2007)."Rome Mayor's Leadership Bid May Lead to Early Italian Elections".Archived fromthe originalon 29 May 2010.
  6. ^Giuseppe, Pullara (30 April 2005)."Il politico prevale sull' amministratoreIl politico prevale sull' amministratore".Corriere della Sera(in Italian). Archived fromthe originalon 21 March 2015.Retrieved29 June2015.
  7. ^Libreria Rizzoli Galleria[permanent dead link],libreriarizzoli.it; accessed 29 June 2015.(in Italian)
  8. ^Obama's European counterparts,Los Angeles Times; accessed 29 June 2015.
  9. ^"Pd: Letta-Bersani volano nel Nord in sondaggi riservati".Retrieved29 June2015.
  10. ^"RaiNews24 – Bersani rinuncia alla segreteria del Pd." La mia candidatura avrebbe disorientato "".Retrieved29 June2015.
  11. ^"Italy's Left Looks Beyond Prodi".The Guardian.London. 27 June 2007. Archived fromthe originalon 30 January 2008.Retrieved29 June2015.
  12. ^"Rome Mayor Set to Win Left's Leadership".Associated Press. 14 October 2007.Retrieved15 October2007.[dead link]
  13. ^"Romanian actress battles racism in Italy",The Independent,10 October 2008
  14. ^(in Romanian)"Romanii din afara granitelor – Cine le apara interesele?"Archived19 October 2007 atarchive.today,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, 13 February 2008.
  17. ^"La dolce vita revisited: Rome's new emperor".The Independent.London. 9 July 2007. Archived fromthe originalon 30 September 2007.Retrieved9 July2007.
  18. ^Berlusconi's candidate wins elections in Sardinia
  19. ^"Italy's Left gets new leader".France 24.21 February 2009.Retrieved21 February2009.
  20. ^Kington, Tom (27 September 2014)."George Clooney Marries in Venice Ceremony".Sky News.Retrieved27 September2014.
  21. ^Oldenburg, Ann; Puente, Maria (27 September 2014)."George Clooney, Amal Alamuddin marry in Venice".USA Today.Retrieved27 September2014.
  22. ^abFornasier, Claudia (15 September 2014)."George, sì davanti a Veltroni".Corriere della Sera.Retrieved26 September2014.
  23. ^Squires, Nick (15 September 2014)."George Clooney 'to be married by ex-Rome mayor'".The Telegraph.London.Retrieved27 September2014.
  24. ^Squires, Nick (29 September 2014)."George Clooney's wedding to Amal Alamuddin finally ends".The Telegraph.London.Retrieved30 September2014.
  25. ^"2009 America Prize Ceremony at the Deputies Chamber".Italy-USA Foundation(in Italian).
[edit]
Media offices
Preceded by
Renzo Foa
Director ofL'Unità
1992–1996
Succeeded by
Giuseppe Caldarola
Political offices
Preceded by Deputy Prime Minister of Italy
1996–1998
Succeeded by
Preceded by
Preceded by Minister of Cultural Heritage
1996–1998
Succeeded by
Preceded by Mayor of Rome
2001–2008
Succeeded by
Party political offices
Preceded by Secretary of the Democrats of the Left
1998–2001
Succeeded by
New political party Secretary of the Democratic Party
2007–2009
Succeeded by