Matteo Renzi
| Matteo Renzi | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| 56th Prime Minister of Italy | |
| Incumbent | |
| Assumed office 22 February 2014 |
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| President | Giorgio Napolitano |
| Preceded by | Enrico Letta |
| Secretary of the Democratic Party | |
| Incumbent | |
| Assumed office 15 December 2013 |
|
| Preceded by | Guglielmo Epifani |
| Mayor of Florence | |
| In office 22 June 2009 – 22 February 2014 |
|
| Preceded by | Leonardo Domenici |
| Succeeded by | Dario Nardella |
| President of Florence Province | |
| In office 14 June 2004 – 22 June 2009 |
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| Preceded by | Michele Gesualdi |
| Succeeded by | Andrea Barducci |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 11 January 1975 Florence, Italy |
| Political party | People's Party (1994–2002) The Daisy (2002–2007) Democratic Party (2007–present) |
| Spouse(s) | Agnese Landini |
| Children | Francesco Emanuele Ester |
| Alma mater | University of Florence |
| Religion | Roman Catholicism |
Matteo Renzi (Italian pronunciation: [matˈtɛo ˈrɛntsi]; born 11 January 1975) is an Italian politician who has been the Prime Minister of Italy since 22 February 2014 and the Secretary of the Democratic Party since 2013.[1] He was previously the Mayor of Florence from 2009 to 2014 and the President of Florence Province from 2004 to 2009.[2][3] On 17 February 2014 he was asked by President Giorgio Napolitano to form a new government, which he presented on 21 February. After being formally sworn into office, at 39, he is the youngest person ever to be Prime Minister of Italy.
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Early life and career[edit]
Renzi was born in Florence in 1975, later graduating in law from the University of Florence. He joined the Italian People's Party in 1996, and became its Provincial Secretary in 1999. He was later elected as the President of the Province of Florence in 2004, winning 59% of the vote in the elections of 12 June 2004, as the candidate of the centre-left coalition.
After five years as the President of the Province Florence, Renzi announced that he would attempt to become the Mayor of Florence. On 9 June 2009, Renzi, by now a member of the Democratic Party, won the mayoral election with 48% of the vote, compared to 32% for Giovanni Galli.[4]
A year after being sworn in as Mayor, and with his popularity in national opinion polls increasing, Renzi organised a public meeting in Florence at Leopolda Station to discuss Italian politics, after stating that a complete change was also necessary in his party. Following this event, the Italian media gave him the nickname "scrapper" (rottamatore). In 2011, he organised a second such meeting in Florence, where he wrote down one hundred points to discuss. At the same time as this, he was strongly criticised by certain members of his own party after his suggestion that Italian politicians who were of the same generation as Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi should retire. During this period of calling for an end to the Italian political establishment he acquired the nickname "il Rottamatore", or "the Scrapper".
In September 2012, Renzi announced that he would seek to become the Secretary of the Democratic Party, with a view to leading the centre-left coalition in the 2013 general election. He lost the December election, finishing second with 39% of the vote, compared to 61% for the winner Pier Luigi Bersani.[5]
"The Scrapper"[edit]
Matteo Renzi is often called "il Rottamatore", "the Scrapper", a nickname that refers to his call to scrap the entire Italian political establishment, which is widely regarded as discredited, tainted by corruption, and as having failed the nation decade after decade. His rise has been seen as a sign of much-needed generational change, and he enjoys by far the highest approval rating of any politician in the country.[6] He is, in his own words, "hugely ambitious".[7]
Party Secretary[edit]
Following the resignation of Pier Luigi Bersani in April 2013, Renzi stood again for the position of Secretary of the Democratic Party, this time proving successful. In the December primary election, Renzi was elected with 68% of the vote, compared to the 18% of Gianni Cuperlo and 14% of Giuseppe Civati. He therefore became the new Secretary of the Democratic Party and the centre-left's prospective candidate for Prime Minister of Italy.
Throughout January and February 2014, there were reports of persistent leadership tensions between Renzi and Prime Minister Enrico Letta. On 12 February, Letta called on Renzi to make his position clear, and Renzi subsequently called a meeting of the Democratic Party leadership. Just before the meeting took place, Renzi publicly called on Letta to resign and allow him to form a new government.[8] Letta initially resisted this call, but following a vote in the meeting on Renzi's proposal, Letta announced that he would tender his resignation as Prime Minister to President Giorgio Napolitano on 14 February.[9]
Prime Minister[edit]
Following the resignation of Enrico Letta, Renzi formally received the task of forming a new government from President Giorgio Napolitano on 17 February 2014.[10] After several days of talks with party leaders, Renzi unveiled his Cabinet on 21 February, which contained members of his Democratic Party, the New Centre-Right and Civic Choice. The following day he was sworn in as Prime Minister, becoming the youngest Prime Minister in the history of Italy. His rise to become Prime Minister has been seen as a sign of much-needed generational change, and at the time of taking office he enjoyed by far the highest approval rating of any politician in the country.[11]
Personal life[edit]
Renzi is married to a teacher, Agnese Landini, with whom he has two sons and a daughter.[12]
References[edit]
- ^ "Italy to swear in new Prime Minister Matteo Renzi". BBC News. 22 February 2014. Retrieved 22 February 2014.
- ^ "Elezioni Comunali Turno di ballottaggio 21–22 giugno 2009" (in Italian). Comune di Firenze. 2009. Retrieved 22 February 2014.
- ^ Roe, Alex. "Matteo Renzi takes Florence". Retrieved 25 June 2009.
- ^ "Center-Left Candidate Matteo Renzi holds 47.6% of the Vote to Giovanni Galli's 32% two weeks before ballotaggio". The Florence Newspaper. 9 June 2009. Retrieved 25 June 2009.
- ^ Aresu, Alessandro; Andrea Garnero (December 2012). "Why Italy matters?". Los Pazio della Politica. Retrieved 6 June 2013.
- ^ "Sondaggi, Matteo Renzi non fa boom" (in Italian). Giornalettismo.com. 20 January 2014. Retrieved 22 February 2014.
- ^ "Profile: Florence mayor Matteo Renzi". BBC News. 13 February 2014. Retrieved 22 February 2014.
- ^ Willey, David (13 February 2014). "Italy PM Letta's rival Renzi calls for new government". BBC News. Retrieved 14 February 2014.
- ^ Willey, David (14 February 2014). "Italian Prime Minister Enrico Letta resigns". BBC. Retrieved 14 February 2014.
- ^ "39 Year Old Matteo Renzi becomes Youngest Italian Prime Minister". IANS. news.biharprabha.com. Retrieved 17 February 2014.
- ^ "Sondaggi, Matteo Renzi non fa boom" (in Italian). Giornalettismo.com. 20 January 2014. Retrieved 22 February 2014.
- ^ Thubron, Dario (21 February 2014). "Matteo Renzi: from Florence mayor to Italy PM". AFP. Retrieved 22 February 2014.
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| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Michele Gesualdi |
President of Florence Province 2004–09 |
Succeeded by Andrea Barducci |
| Preceded by Leonardo Domenici |
Mayor of Florence 2009–14 |
Succeeded by Dario Nardella |
| Preceded by Enrico Letta |
Prime Minister of Italy 2014–present |
Incumbent |
| Party political offices | ||
| Preceded by Guglielmo Epifani |
Secretary of the Democratic Party 2013–present |
Incumbent |
| Order of precedence | ||
| Preceded by Laura Boldrini as President of the Chamber of Deputies |
Order of Precedence of Italy as President of the Council of Ministers |
Succeeded by Gaetano Silvestri as President of the Constitutional Court |
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