Arnaldo Forlani facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Arnaldo Forlani OMI OESSH
Prime Minister of Italy
In office 18 October 1980 – 28 June 1981
President	Sandro Pertini
Preceded by	Francesco Cossiga
Succeeded by	Giovanni Spadolini
Deputy Prime Minister of Italy
In office 4 August 1983 – 18 April 1987
Prime Minister	Bettino Craxi
Preceded by	Ugo La Malfa
Succeeded by	Giuliano Amato
Minister of Foreign Affairs
In office 30 July 1976 – 5 August 1979
Prime Minister	Giulio Andreotti
Preceded by	Mariano Rumor
Succeeded by	Franco Maria Malfatti
Minister of Defence
In office 23 November 1974 – 30 July 1976
Prime Minister	Aldo Moro
Preceded by	Giulio Andreotti
Succeeded by	Vittorio Lattanzio
Secretary of the Christian Democracy
In office 22 February 1989 – 12 October 1992
Preceded by	Ciriaco De Mita
Succeeded by	Mino Martinazzoli
In office 9 November 1969 – 17 June 1973
Preceded by	Flaminio Piccoli
Succeeded by	Amintore Fanfani
Member of the Chamber of Deputies
In office 12 June 1958 – 14 April 1994
Constituency	Ancona
Personal details
Born	(1925-12-08)8 December 1925 Pesaro, Marche, Kingdom of Italy
Died	6 July 2023(2023-07-06) (aged 97) Rome, Italy
Political party	DC (1946–1994) Independent (since 1994)
Height	1.78 m (5 ft 10 in)
Spouse	Anna Maria Forlani (died 2015)
Children	2
Alma mater	University of Urbino
Occupation	Journalist politician

Arnaldo Forlani (8 December 1925 – 6 July 2023) was an important Italian politician. He served as the 43rd Prime Minister of Italy from 1980 to 1981. He also held other major roles, including Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Foreign Affairs, and Minister of Defence.

Forlani was a leading member of the Christian Democracy party, which was a major political force in Italy for many years. He was one of the most well-known Italian politicians from the 1970s to the early 1990s.

Early Life and Political Start

Arnaldo Forlani was born on December 8, 1925, in Pesaro, a city in Italy. He came from a middle-class family. After studying law at the University of Urbino, he began his political journey in 1948.

He first worked as a local secretary for the Christian Democracy party in Pesaro. Later, he was elected to local and regional councils. In 1954, he became part of the Christian Democracy's main committee, which helped guide the party.

In 1958, Forlani was elected to the Chamber of Deputies, which is like Italy's House of Representatives. He represented the area of Ancona. By 1959, he became a key figure in a group within the Christian Democracy party led by Amintore Fanfani. From 1962 to 1969, he served as the party's vice-secretary.

Leading the Christian Democracy Party

Forlani in 1972

In December 1968, Forlani became the Minister of Public Shares. This role involved overseeing state-owned companies. In August 1969, he became the Minister for Relations with the United Nations, helping Italy work with other countries.

In November 1969, Forlani was chosen as the Secretary of the Christian Democracy party. This was a very important leadership position. As secretary, he tried to keep the center-left political alliance strong. This alliance included the Christian Democrats and other parties like the Socialists and Republicans. He wanted to make sure these parties worked together, even when Italy faced economic and social problems.

During his time as secretary, a law allowing divorce was passed in 1969. This law was strongly opposed by the Christian Democrats. The Prime Minister at the time, Mariano Rumor, resigned in 1970 due to political tensions. After him, Emilio Colombo became the new Prime Minister.

Presidential Election and New Elections

In 1971, Italy held a presidential election. Forlani suggested Amintore Fanfani as the Christian Democracy's candidate for President of the Republic. However, other parties did not agree. His second choice, Aldo Moro, was also not elected. Finally, Giovanni Leone became president with support from different parties.

After some political difficulties, new general elections were called for May 1972.

1972 General Election Results

In the election on May 7, 1972, the Christian Democracy party, led by Forlani, kept its strong position. The Communist Party also maintained its support. The Socialist Party saw a decrease in votes. A notable change was the growth of the post-fascist Italian Social Movement, which almost doubled its votes.

After the election, Giulio Andreotti tried to form a government. However, this government only lasted a year. Then, Mariano Rumor returned as Prime Minister, leading a traditional center-left alliance. At the same time, in 1973, Forlani was replaced as party secretary by Amintore Fanfani.

Serving in Government Roles

In March 1973, Prime Minister Rumor's government faced challenges. One major event was the 1974 Italian divorce referendum. The Christian Democrats wanted to make divorce illegal again, but the Italian people voted to keep the divorce law.

Minister of Defence

Forlani with Ciriaco De Mita and Benigno Zaccagnini in 1970

After the referendum, Aldo Moro formed a new government. Forlani was appointed Minister of Defence. This meant he was in charge of Italy's armed forces. However, new problems arose after the 1975 regional elections, which led to calls for new national elections.

In March 1976, Forlani ran for the party secretary position again. He was against Benigno Zaccagnini, who supported working more closely with the Communists. Forlani lost this election, and Zaccagnini remained secretary.

Minister of Foreign Affairs

When the government collapsed in 1976, early elections were held. After the elections, Giulio Andreotti became the new Prime Minister. Forlani was then appointed as Minister of Foreign Affairs. This was a very important role, especially during the Cold War, a period of tension between major global powers.

As Foreign Minister, Forlani worked to strengthen Italy's relationships with other countries. He strongly supported the process of European integration, which aimed to bring European countries closer together. He also supported Portugal joining the European Economic Community, a group of European countries working on economic cooperation.

Prime Minister of Italy

President Sandro Pertini with the Forlani Cabinet at the Quirinal Palace

In 1980, Arnaldo Forlani played a key role in helping Flaminio Piccoli become the Christian Democracy party's secretary. Because of this, Forlani was chosen to be the Prime Minister of Italy. He led a government that included the Christian Democrats, Socialists, Social Democrats, and Republicans.

Forlani was known as a calm politician who tried to avoid arguments within his party. He was seen as someone who could bring the Christian Democracy party together. As Prime Minister, he had to deal with challenges like political problems and a rise in left-wing terrorism.

1980 Irpinia Earthquake

During his time as Prime Minister, Forlani also had to manage the aftermath of the 1980 Irpinia earthquake. This was a very strong earthquake that hit the Campania region of Italy. It caused a lot of damage, killing many people and leaving hundreds of thousands homeless.

Forlani's government spent a lot of money on rebuilding efforts, and other countries also sent aid. Sadly, some of the money meant for rebuilding was misused or stolen, which was a big problem that came to light later. This made it harder for the affected communities to recover.

After Being Prime Minister

After his time as Prime Minister, Forlani remained an important politician. In 1981, he and Socialist leader Bettino Craxi made an important agreement. This agreement, sometimes called the "pact of the camper," recognized that other non-Christian Democratic parties were equally important in forming governments. It also allowed for different parties to take turns leading the government. This led to the formation of a new government alliance called the "Pentapartito."

In 1983, Bettino Craxi became Prime Minister, and Forlani served as his Deputy Prime Minister.

Second Term as Secretary

Forlani was elected secretary of the Christian Democracy party for a second time in 1989. He received a large majority of votes. At this time, Ciriaco De Mita, the former secretary, was the Prime Minister.

The relationship between De Mita's government and the Socialist party became difficult. Eventually, the Socialists withdrew their support, and De Mita had to resign in May 1989. Forlani then helped manage the political situation until Giulio Andreotti became Prime Minister in July, leading a new coalition.

1992 Election and Presidential Ambitions

Forlani in 1992

In 1992, a major investigation into political corruption, known as Mani pulite (Clean Hands), began in Italy. This investigation revealed widespread issues within political parties.

In the 1992 Italian general election, the Christian Democracy party, led by Forlani, lost many votes. However, their coalition still managed to hold a small majority. Forlani was then proposed as the Christian Democracy's candidate for President of the Republic in the 1992 Italian presidential election. However, he did not get enough votes to be elected and eventually withdrew his candidacy.

Resignation and Retirement

The defeat in the presidential election, combined with the difficult general election and the ongoing corruption investigations, marked the end of Forlani's active political career. He resigned as party secretary in October 1992 and later retired from politics.

Death

Arnaldo Forlani passed away on July 6, 2023, at the age of 97.

Electoral History

Election	House	Constituency	Party		Votes	Result
1958	Chamber of Deputies	Ancona–Pesaro–Macerata–Ascoli Piceno		DC	41,364	Y Elected
1963	Chamber of Deputies	Ancona–Pesaro–Macerata–Ascoli Piceno		DC	57,466	Y Elected
1968	Chamber of Deputies	Ancona–Pesaro–Macerata–Ascoli Piceno		DC	77,333	Y Elected
1972	Chamber of Deputies	Ancona–Pesaro–Macerata–Ascoli Piceno		DC	156,949	Y Elected
1976	Chamber of Deputies	Ancona–Pesaro–Macerata–Ascoli Piceno		DC	127,905	Y Elected
1979	Chamber of Deputies	Ancona–Pesaro–Macerata–Ascoli Piceno		DC	102,969	Y Elected
1983	Chamber of Deputies	Ancona–Pesaro–Macerata–Ascoli Piceno		DC	83,223	Y Elected
1987	Chamber of Deputies	Ancona–Pesaro–Macerata–Ascoli Piceno		DC	101,463	Y Elected
1992	Chamber of Deputies	Ancona–Pesaro–Macerata–Ascoli Piceno		DC	60,566	Y Elected

See Also

In Spanish: Arnaldo Forlani para niños