Nichi Vendola facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Nichi Vendola
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| President of Italian Left | |
| Assumed office 26 November 2023 |
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| Preceded by | Maria Gabriella Branca |
| President of Apulia | |
| In office 27 April 2005 – 26 June 2015 |
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| Preceded by | Raffaele Fitto |
| Succeeded by | Michele Emiliano |
| Member of the Chamber of Deputies | |
| In office 15 March 2013 – 16 April 2013 |
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| Constituency | Apulia |
| In office 23 April 1992 – 3 May 2005 |
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| Constituency | Bari-Foggia (1992–1994) Bitonto (1994–1996) Apulia (1996–2005) |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 26 August 1958 Bari, Italy |
| Political party | Italian Left |
| Other political affiliations |
PCI (1972–1991) PRC (1991–2009) SEL (2009–2017) |
| Domestic partner | Edward Testa (since 2004) |
| Alma mater | University of Bari |
| Profession | politician, journalist, writer |
Nicola "Nichi" Vendola (born 26 August 1958) is an Italian politician. He is known for his work in left-wing politics. He also supports fairness and equality for all people.
Nichi Vendola was a Member of Parliament for Apulia from 1992 to 2005. Later, he served as the President of Apulia from 2005 to 2015. Since 2023, he has been the President of the Italian Left party. He was one of the first Italian politicians to openly share his personal identity. He was also the first openly gay leader of a regional government in Italy.
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Early Life and Education
Nichi Vendola was born in Terlizzi, a town in the province of Bari, on 26 August 1958. From a young age, he was interested in politics. He joined the Italian Communist Youth Federation when he was just fourteen years old.
He went on to study literature at university. For his final project, he wrote a detailed paper about the famous poet and film director Pier Paolo Pasolini.
After university, Vendola became a journalist for a newspaper called l'Unità. He also became a strong supporter of equal rights for gay people. He was a key member of the Italian gay rights group Arcigay.
Vendola was part of the National Secretariat of the Italian Communist Party. He strongly disagreed when the party decided to break up in 1991. Instead of joining the new party, he became a member of the Communist Refoundation Party.
Nichi Vendola's Political Journey
Serving in Parliament
In 1992, Nichi Vendola was elected to the Chamber of Deputies. This is like being a member of parliament. He held this important position until 2005.
While in Parliament, he was part of the Antimafia Commission. This group worked to fight against organized crime, like the Sicilian Mafia. Vendola became well-known for his strong stand against these criminal groups.
In 2005, Vendola decided to run for a new role. He entered the first primary election ever held in Italy. This election was to choose the candidate for president of the Apulia region. He won this primary election against his opponent, Francesco Boccia.
Vendola often described himself as a "believer." He once said that for him, "the most important book for a communist like me is the Bible." This shows his deep personal beliefs.
Leading the Apulia Region
In April 2005, Vendola won the regional election in Apulia. He just barely defeated the person who was president before him, Raffaele Fitto. Vendola became the first member of the Communist Refoundation Party to be elected as president of any Italian region.
In 2008, there was a big meeting for the Communist Refoundation party. Vendola was one of the main candidates to become the party's Chairman. However, he lost to another candidate, Paolo Ferrero. After this, Vendola's supporters left their leadership roles in the party.
On 24 January 2009, Vendola decided to leave the Communist Refoundation party. He then started a new group called the Movement for the Left. In December 2009, this movement joined with others to form a new party, Left Ecology Freedom. Vendola became its first leader.
Towards the end of 2009, some of his allies questioned if he should run for re-election. They wanted him to step aside so they could choose a candidate who might get more support. Vendola refused to step down, and a new primary election was called for 24 January 2010.
Vendola easily won this election with over 67% of the votes. He was chosen again to lead the centre-left group. He then went on to win the main election against Rocco Palese by a large amount.
In July 2010, Vendola announced he would run in the primary elections for the Italian centre-left. Many people thought this vote would show what might happen in the 2013 Italian general elections. Polls even showed Vendola might win against other big names. However, in the primaries held on 25 November 2012, he came in third place and did not move on to the final round.
In the general election of 2013, Vendola was elected to the Chamber of Deputies for the fifth time. However, he decided to stay as the leader of the Apulia Region. He officially resigned from his seat in Parliament on 10 April 2013.
Vendola could not run for president of the Apulia region a third time in 2015. He supported Michele Emiliano, who was the former mayor of Bari. Emiliano went on to win the election.
President of Italian Left
On 17 December 2016, the Left Ecology Freedom (SEL) party, which Vendola led, joined with the Italian Left party. This merger happened on 19 February 2017. Since 26 November 2023, Nichi Vendola has been the president of Sinistra Italiana (Italian Left).
Personal Life and Interests
Nichi Vendola has been with his partner, Edward "Ed" Testa, since 2004. In 2016, they welcomed a baby boy named Tobia Antonio.
Vendola is also a talented poet. Some of his poems have been collected in a book called L'ultimo mare, which means "The last sea." A movie called Nichi has also been made about his life.
He is a devoted Roman Catholic. However, he sometimes has different views from the church on social issues.
In October 2018, Vendola had a heart attack. Luckily, he received quick medical care and recovered well.
Electoral History
| Election | House | Constituency | Party | Votes | Result | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1987 | Chamber of Deputies | Rome–Viterbo–Latina–Frosinone | PCI | 10,764 |  Not elected |
[1] | |
| 1992 | Chamber of Deputies | Bari–Foggia | PRC | 5,448 |  Elected |
[2] | |
| 1994 | Chamber of Deputies | Bitonto | PRC | 26,903 | Elected |
[3] | |
| 1996 | Chamber of Deputies | Apulia | PRC | – | Elected |
[4] | |
| 2001 | Chamber of Deputies | Apulia | PRC | – | Elected |
[5] | |
| 2013 | Chamber of Deputies | Apulia | SEL | – | Elected |
[6] | |
See also
In Spanish: Nichi Vendola para niños
- List of the first LGBT holders of political offices
- List of LGBT heads of government
