Roberto Formigoni
Roberto Formigoni | |
---|---|
8th President of Lombardy | |
In office 27 June 1995 – 18 March 2013 | |
Preceded by | Paolo Arrigoni |
Succeeded by | Roberto Maroni |
Member of the Senate of the Republic | |
In office 15 March 2013 – 22 March 2018 | |
Constituency | Lombardy |
Member of the Chamber of Deputies | |
In office 2 July 1987 – 27 June 1995 | |
Constituency | Milan |
Member of the European Parliament for North-West Italy | |
In office 24 July 1984 – 25 July 1994 | |
Personal details | |
Born | Lecco, Italy | 30 March 1947
Political party | Ncl (since 2017) |
Other political affiliations | DC (1973–1994) PPI (1994–1995) CDU (1995–1998) CDL (1998–2001) FI (2001–2009) PdL (2009–2013) NCD (2013–2017) AP (2017) |
Height | 1.88 m (6 ft 2 in)[3] |
Residence | Milan |
Alma mater | Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore |
Profession | Politician, Communion and Liberation movement's former unofficial political spokesman[1][2] |
Roberto Formigoni (born 30 March 1947) is an Italian politician.[4][5] He was the president of Lombardy from 1995 to 2013. He is the former unofficial political spokesperson of the Communion and Liberation movement. On 21 February 2019, the Supreme Court of Cassation, the highest court in Italy, found him guilty of corruption and sentenced him to a definitive jail term of 5 years and 10 months. As a result, he has been detained in the prison of Bollate, near Milan, Italy, since February 2019.[6][7]
Career
Born in Lecco in the Lombardy region, Formigoni began his political career early in Christian Democracy through youth movements, such as Gioventù Studentesca and Communion and Liberation, of which he became the unofficial political spokesman. In 1976, he founded the Popular Movement and was elected a deputy in both the European Parliament (with over 450,000 votes) and Italian Parliament. He was also the vice-president of the European Parliament for five years and served as undersecretary of state for the Ministry of the Enviroment in the Italian government.
In 1990, Formigoni garnered attention when he was involved in a mission to Iraq that successfully concluded with the freeing of some Italian technicians who were hostages of the local government. He later took part in the oil-for-food programme for Iraq, buying 1,000,000 oil barrels (160,000 cubic metres). The move sparked controversy and linked him to alleged bribe scandals. In 1995, he and Rocco Buttiglione founded the United Christian Democrats party. In 1998, he moved to Forza Italia, when Buttiglione briefly decided to support the government of Massimo D'Alema.
In 1995, Formigoni was elected president of Lombardy. Leftist groups opposed his centre-right platform. Formigoni was re-elected in 2000 carrying over 62% of the approximately 3.5 million votes, and in 2005 with almost 54% of the approximately 2.8 million votes. He was elected to a fourth term in March 2010 with 56% of the approximately 2.7 million votes. His candidature had been contested by academics and left-wing politicians, as in disregard of Law no. 165/2004, which put a limit of two consecutive mandates to directly elected regional presidents. Formigoni was indirectly elected in 1995 but then directly elected in 2000 and 2005. He defended himself, stating that the law was not in vigour when he was first directly elected in 2000, so he should be allowed a fourth mandate. According to some scholars, his mandate could have been overturned by judges later on.[8][9]
Controversies
Formigoni candidated the Italian showgirl Nicole Minetti and dental hygienist of the former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, who asked for a political seat for her, and this was contested by Italian newspapers.[citation needed] On 16 October 2012, Formigoni announced the dissolution of the regional legislature after one of his commissioners, Domenico Zambetti of the People of Freedom, was arrested on accusations he bought votes from the 'Ndrangheta in 2010 and extorted favours and public building contracts, including construction tenders for the World Expo 2015 in Milan.[10][11]
Italian court sentences against Formigoni
2000s: Bribery and environmental pollution
In 2002, Formigoni was judged for bribery due the landfill in Cerro Maggiore.[12] In December 2009, Formigoni was tried illegal environmental pollution.[13][14][15]
2010s: Freemasonry, criminal association, and defamatory behavior against Italian judges
Formigoni was interrogated by Italian Court in Rome due the Propaganda Due (D2) Freemasonry group.[16][17][18] In July 2012, he was senteced to 1 year of imprisonment due defamation.[19] In January 2014, he was convicted of defaming the Italian judge Alfredo Robledo.[20]
On 25 July 2012, Formigoni was convicted of bribery by Italian courts.[21][22] On 12 February 2013, he was investigated due criminal group activities.[23] On 3 March 2014, Formigoni was convicted for criminal association activities and bribery.[24] On 15 April 2016, the prosecution asked to sentence Formigoni to 9 years of prison and described him as a "boss of criminal group" due his tactical bribery attitudes that lasted more than 10 years while he managed more than 70 million euro public money.[25][26]
See also
- 1995 Lombard regional election
- 2000 Lombard regional election
- 2005 Lombard regional election
- 2010 Lombard regional election
- Advocacy group
- Corruption in Italy
References
- ^ "Senza Formigoni e Lupi la rete di Cl è più forte di prima – l'Espresso". espresso.repubblica.it. 29 August 2016. Retrieved 21 August 2018.
- ^ "Formigoni e Cl: il declino di una lobby?". Indygesto. Retrieved 21 August 2018.
- ^ "Formigoni: un anno a stecchetto Così ho perso 17 chili" (in Italian). 2014..
- ^ "Il ritorno di Formigoni: condannato a 6 anni, Fdi lo vorrebbe candidare alle prossime Europee". L'Espresso (in Italian). 8 May 2023. Retrieved 2 July 2023.
- ^ "Formigoni possibile candidato, l'endorsement del governatore Fontana: 'Ottimo politico, sarebbe un arricchimento per tutti'". La Repubblica (in Italian). 9 May 2023. Retrieved 2 July 2023.
- ^ "Formigoni convicted in Maugeri case, goes to jail. Gets 5 yrs 10 mts, defence wants house arrest". ANSA. ANSA. 22 February 2019. Retrieved 22 February 2019.
- ^ "Formigoni è entrato in carcere a Bollate. I legali chiedono i domiciliari". ANSA. ANSA. 21 February 2019. Retrieved 22 February 2019.
- ^ Vittorio Angiolini, professore ordinario di Diritto costituzionale dell'Università di Milano; Margherita Raveraira, Università di Perugia Il limite del doppio mandato alla immediata rielezione del Presidente della giunta regionale: una questione complessa Archived 22 July 2011 at the Wayback Machine, Federalismi.it
- ^ Michele Ainis, La terza via di Errani e Formigoni, La Stampa, 25 gennaio 2010
- ^ Italy corruption probes claim Lombardy legislature, Miami Herald, 16 October 2012
- ^ Mafia probe claims political victim, Financial Times, 14 October 2012
- ^ "Formigoni rinviato a giudizio per la discarica di Cerro". La Repubblica. 11 June 2002. Retrieved 16 December 2009.
- ^ Ansa – Inquinamento in Lombardia
- ^ Inquinamento, Formigoni indagato dai pm di Milano, Corriere della Sera, 1º dicembre 2009
- ^ Smog, indagato anche Penati, Corriere della Sera, 26 gennaio 2010
- ^ La P3 agì su mandato di Formigoni Archived 17 July 2010 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ ""Il gruppo agì per conto di Formigoni "Cesare" pseudonimo del premier" – Corriere della Sera". corriere.it. Retrieved 21 August 2018.
- ^ "Per il gruppo Berlusconi era "Cesare" Informativa tira in ballo Formigoni e Caliendo". Repubblica.it. 14 July 2010. Retrieved 21 August 2018.
- ^ "Formigoni condannato ha diffamato i Radicali – Milano". Repubblica.it. 10 November 2012. Retrieved 21 August 2018.
- ^ "Oil for food, "Formigoni diffamò pm Robledo, versi 40mila euro" – Il Fatto Quotidiano". Il Fatto Quotidiano (in Italian). 20 January 2014. Retrieved 20 May 2018.
- ^ "Formigoni indagato per corruzione "Non temo nulla, resto al mio posto"". 16 August 2018.
- ^ Luigi Ferrarella e Giuseppe Guastella (26 July 2012). "Le accuse "Yacht, viaggi e una villa Tangenti per 7 milioni in cambio di 15 delibere"". Corriere della Sera. Retrieved 26 July 2012.
- ^ "Maugeri, chiusa inchiesta, Formigoni fra indagati associazione delinquere". Archived from the original on 13 February 2013.
- ^ Sandro de Riccardis (3 March 2014). "Caso Maugeri, Formigoni sarà processato per associazione a delinquere e corruzione". La Repubblica. Retrieved 3 March 2014.
- ^ "Roberto Formigoni, chiesti nove anni per ex governatore nel processo Maugeri. Pm: "Corruzione sistemica"". 15 April 2016. Retrieved 23 April 2016.
- ^ "Caso Maugeri, via libera al sequestro di pensione e vitalizi di Formigoni: 5 milioni di euro". 16 August 2018. Retrieved 17 August 2018.
External links
- 1947 births
- Living people
- People from Lecco
- Italian Roman Catholics
- Christian Democracy (Italy) politicians
- Italian People's Party (1994) politicians
- United Christian Democrats politicians
- Forza Italia politicians
- The People of Freedom politicians
- New Centre-Right politicians
- Popular Alternative politicians
- Deputies of Legislature X of Italy
- Deputies of Legislature XI of Italy
- Deputies of Legislature XII of Italy
- Senators of Legislature XV of Italy
- Senators of Legislature XVI of Italy
- Senators of Legislature XVII of Italy
- Presidents of Lombardy
- Members of the Italian Senate from Lombardy
- MEPs for Italy 1984–1989
- MEPs for Italy 1989–1994
- Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore alumni
- Communion and Liberation
- Heads of government who were later imprisoned
- Italian politicians convicted of crimes