Pier Luigi Bersani facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Pier Luigi Bersani
|
|
|---|---|
 |
|
| Secretary of the Democratic Party | |
| In office 7 November 2009 – 20 April 2013 |
|
| Deputy | Enrico Letta |
| Preceded by | Dario Franceschini |
| Succeeded by | Guglielmo Epifani |
| Minister of Economic Development | |
| In office 17 May 2006 – 8 May 2008 |
|
| Prime Minister | Romano Prodi |
| Preceded by | Claudio Scajola (Productive Activities) |
| Succeeded by | Claudio Scajola |
| Minister of Transports and Navigation | |
| In office 22 December 1999 – 11 June 2001 |
|
| Prime Minister | Massimo D'Alema |
| Preceded by | Tiziano Treu |
| Succeeded by | Pietro Lunardi (Infrastructures and Transports) |
| Minister of Industry, Commerce and Craftmanship | |
| In office 18 May 1996 – 22 December 1999 |
|
| Prime Minister | Romano Prodi |
| Preceded by | Alberto Clò |
| Succeeded by | Enrico Letta |
| President of Emilia-Romagna | |
| In office 6 July 1993 – 17 May 1996 |
|
| Preceded by | Enrico Boselli |
| Succeeded by | Antonio La Forgia |
| Member of the Chamber of Deputies | |
| In office 28 April 2006 – 13 October 2022 |
|
| Constituency | Emilia-Romagna (2001–2013; 2018–2022) Lombardy (2013–2018) |
| In office 30 May 2001 – 19 July 2004 |
|
| Constituency | Emilia-Romagna |
| Member of the European Parliament | |
| In office 20 July 2004 – 27 April 2006 |
|
| Constituency | North-West Italy |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 29 September 1951 Bettola, Piacenza, Italy |
| Political party | PCI (before 1991) PDS (1991–1998) DS (1998–2007) PD (2007–2017; since 2023) Art1 (2017–2023) |
| Height | 1.8 m (5 ft 11 in) |
| Spouse | Daniela Ferrari |
| Children | 2 daughters |
| Alma mater | University of Bologna |
| Signature |  |
Pier Luigi Bersani (born 29 September 1951) is an Italian politician. He was the Secretary of the Democratic Party (PD), which is a major political party in Italy, from 2009 to 2013. Bersani has held many important government roles. He was the Minister of Industry, Commerce and Craftmanship from 1996 to 1999. He also served as President of Emilia-Romagna from 1993 to 1996. Later, he became Minister of Transport from 1999 to 2001 and Minister of Economic Development from 2006 to 2008.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Pier Luigi Bersani was born on 29 September 1951 in Bettola, a small town in the province of Piacenza, Emilia-Romagna region, Italy. His father worked as a mechanic and at a gas station. After finishing high school in Piacenza, Bersani went to the University of Bologna. He studied philosophy and wrote his final paper about Pope Gregory I. In 1980, he married Daniela, and they have two daughters, Elisa and Margherita. After a short time as a teacher, he decided to dedicate his life to politics and public service.
Political Journey
Starting in Politics
Bersani began his political journey by joining the Italian Communist Party. Later, he became a member of the Democratic Party of the Left. He was in charge of economic matters for the Democrats of the Left. When he was younger, he served as Vice-President of the Mountain Community of Piacenza. He was then elected to the Regional Council of the Emilia-Romagna region. In 1990, he became Vice-President of Emilia-Romagna, and from 1993 to 1996, he was the President of the region.
Serving in Government
After the 1996 Italian general election, Bersani became a minister in Italy's centre-left governments. He was the Minister of Industry, Commerce and Craftmanship from 1996 to 1999. Then, he served as Minister of Transports from 1999 to 2001. These roles were under prime ministers like Romano Prodi, Massimo D'Alema, and Giuliano Amato.
Time in the European Parliament
In 2004, Bersani was elected to the European Parliament. He represented the North-West region of Italy for the Democrats of the Left party. In the European Parliament, he was part of the Socialist Group. He worked on the European Parliament's Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs. He also worked on relations with countries like Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Mongolia, and Belarus. He left the European Parliament in 2006 when he was elected back to the Italian Chamber of Deputies. On 17 May 2006, he was appointed Minister of Economic Development.
Reforms as Minister
As the Minister of Economic Development from 2006 to 2008, Bersani worked on reforms to make markets more open and competitive. He introduced new laws to help common citizens and prevent big companies from having too much power. He believed that opening up markets meant protecting people and making sure there was fair competition.
Leading the Democratic Party
On 25 October 2009, Pier Luigi Bersani won the leadership election for the Democratic Party. He became the leader of Italy's main opposition party. On 7 November 2009, he officially took office as Secretary of the Democratic Party of Italy. He also won against Matteo Renzi in the party's primary election in 2012.
2013 Elections and Aftermath
Before the 2013 Italian general election, Bersani's Democratic Party was leading in the polls. However, the election results were very close. His centre-left group won a majority in the lower house of parliament. But they did not get enough votes to have a majority in the Senate. In Italy, a government needs the support of both houses to stay in power.
Bersani tried to form a government, but it was difficult. He tried to get support from the Five Star Movement, another political group. However, they could not agree. On 19 April, Bersani announced that he would step down as the leader of the Democratic Party. This happened after Romano Prodi was unable to become president.
Other Activities
In 2001, Bersani helped create a think tank called NENS. This group focuses on "New Economy, New Society." He is also the chairman of the Nuova Romea Society, which was started in 2002. This society works to help develop the regions of Emilia-Romagna and Veneto.
Honours
See also
In Spanish: Pier Luigi Bersani para niños
