Sergio Mattarella facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Sergio Mattarella
OMRI OMCA
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Official portrait, 2022
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| President of Italy | |
| Assumed office 3 February 2015 |
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| Prime Minister | Matteo Renzi Paolo Gentiloni Giuseppe Conte Mario Draghi Giorgia Meloni |
| Preceded by | Giorgio Napolitano |
| Judge of the Constitutional Court of Italy | |
| In office 11 October 2011 – 2 February 2015 |
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| Appointed by | Italian Parliament |
| Preceded by | Ugo De Siervo |
| Succeeded by | Augusto Antonio Barbera |
| Minister of Defence | |
| In office 22 December 1999 – 11 June 2001 |
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| Prime Minister | Massimo D'Alema Giuliano Amato |
| Preceded by | Carlo Scognamiglio |
| Succeeded by | Antonio Martino |
| Deputy Prime Minister of Italy | |
| In office 21 October 1998 – 22 December 1999 |
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| Prime Minister | Massimo D'Alema |
| Preceded by | Walter Veltroni |
| Succeeded by | Gianfranco Fini |
| Minister of Public Education | |
| In office 23 July 1989 – 27 July 1990 |
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| Prime Minister | Giulio Andreotti |
| Preceded by | Giovanni Galloni |
| Succeeded by | Gerardo Bianco |
| Minister for Parliamentary Relations | |
| In office 29 July 1987 – 23 July 1989 |
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| Prime Minister | Giovanni Goria Ciriaco De Mita |
| Preceded by | Gaetano Gifuni |
| Succeeded by | Egidio Sterpa |
| Member of the Chamber of Deputies | |
| In office 12 July 1983 – 28 April 2008 |
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| Constituency |
See list
Palermo (1983–1994)
Sicily 1 (1994–2001; 2006–2008) Trentino-Alto Adige (2001–2006) |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 23 July 1941 Palermo, Sicily, Kingdom of Italy |
| Political party | Independent (since 2009) |
| Other political affiliations |
DC (before 1994) PPI (1994–2002) The Daisy (2002–2007) PD (2007–2009) |
| Spouse |
Marisa Chiazzese
(m. 1966; died 2012) |
| Children | 3, including Laura |
| Parents |
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| Relatives | Piersanti Mattarella (brother) |
| Residence | Quirinal Palace |
| Alma mater | Sapienza University of Rome |
| Signature |  |
Sergio Mattarella (born 23 July 1941) is an Italian politician and lawyer. He has been the President of Italy since 2015. He is the president who has served the longest in the history of the Italian Republic.
Mattarella was a key member of the Christian Democracy party from the 1980s until it ended. He served as a minister in different government roles. These included Minister for Parliamentary Relations (1987–1989) and Minister of Education (1989–1990).
In 1994, Mattarella helped start the Italian People's Party (PPI). He was Deputy Prime Minister of Italy from 1998 to 1999. He also served as Minister of Defence from 1999 to 2001. He later joined other parties, including the Democratic Party (PD), before leaving politics in 2008. From 2011 to 2015, he was a judge on the Constitutional Court of Italy.
On 31 January 2015, Mattarella was chosen as president. He was supported by a group of parties led by the PD. He was re-elected on 29 January 2022. He is only the second Italian president to be re-elected. During his time as president, Italy has had five different prime ministers.
Italy faced big challenges during his presidency. These included the effects of the Great Recession and the 2015 European migrant crisis. In 2020, Italy was hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic. It was the first Western country to have a national lockdown.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Sergio Mattarella was born in Palermo, Sicily, on 23 July 1941. He came from an important Sicilian family. His father, Bernardo Mattarella, was an anti-fascist. He helped create the Christian Democracy party. This party was very important in Italian politics for nearly 50 years. Bernardo served as a minister many times.
When he was young, Sergio moved to Rome because of his father's political work. In Rome, he joined Azione Cattolica (AC), a large Catholic group. He was the regional leader for Lazio from 1961 to 1964.
After high school, he studied law at the Sapienza University of Rome. He graduated with honors in 1964. In 1967, he became a lawyer in Palermo. He focused on administrative law. Later, he taught parliamentary procedure at the University of Palermo until 1983.
In 1966, Mattarella married Marisa Chiazzese. They had three children: Laura, Francesco, and Bernardo. On 6 January 1980, his older brother, Piersanti Mattarella, was killed in Palermo. Piersanti was also a politician and had been the president of Sicily. This sad event led Sergio to leave his teaching job and enter politics.
Political Career Highlights
Mattarella's political career began in 1983. He was elected to the Chamber of Deputies. He joined the left-leaning part of the Christian Democracy party. This group supported working with the Italian Communist Party (PCI).
In the 1980s, Mattarella worked to fight against Mafia influence in Sicily. He helped Leoluca Orlando become the new mayor of Palermo in 1985. They worked to reduce the Mafia's power on the island.
Serving as a Minister
On 29 July 1987, Mattarella became Italian Minister for Parliamentary Relations. He worked to improve how the government and Parliament communicated. He kept this role when Ciriaco De Mita became prime minister in 1988.
In 1989, Mattarella became Italian Minister of Education. He worked on reforming the school system. He helped make changes to elementary schools. He also supported health education in schools. On 27 July 1990, he resigned from his position. This was because of a new law about media that he disagreed with.
In 1990, Mattarella became deputy leader of the Christian Democracy party. He later became director of Il Popolo, the party's newspaper. After a public vote in 1993, he helped create a new election law called Mattarellum. This law combined different ways of voting.
In the early 1990s, Italy faced a big corruption scandal called Tangentopoli. Mattarella was not directly involved. He was briefly investigated but was later cleared of any wrongdoing.
Joining the Centre-Left
Mattarella was a key figure in changing the Christian Democracy party. This led to the creation of the Italian People's Party (PPI) in 1994. He was re-elected to the Chamber of Deputies. He supported Romano Prodi to lead the centre-left coalition. This group was known as The Olive Tree.
After the centre-left won the 1996 election, Mattarella became the PPI's group leader in Parliament. In 1998, he was appointed Deputy Prime Minister of Italy. He also worked on reforming the secret services.
In December 1999, Mattarella became Italian Minister of Defence. He supported NATO's actions in Yugoslavia. He also approved a reform that ended conscription (mandatory military service) in Italy. He stayed as Minister of Defence until 2001.
In 2002, the PPI joined other parties to form The Daisy. Mattarella was re-elected to Parliament in 2001 and 2006. In 2007, he helped create the Democratic Party (PD). He left politics in 2008.
Judge of the Constitutional Court
On 5 October 2011, Mattarella was chosen to be a judge on the Constitutional Court of Italy. This court makes sure that laws follow the Italian Constitution. He served as a judge until he became President of Italy in February 2015.
Presidency (2015–Present)
On 31 January 2015, Sergio Mattarella was elected the President of Italy. He received many votes from different parties. He took office on 3 February 2015. He replaced Giorgio Napolitano, who had been president for a long time. Mattarella's first words as president were about the "difficulties and hopes of our fellow citizens."
His first official visit as president was to the Fosse Ardeatine. This is a place where many people were killed during World War II. Mattarella said that "Europe and the world must be united to defeat whoever wants to drag us into a new age of terror."
Political Challenges and Government Changes
In December 2016, Italy held a vote on changing the Constitution. The changes were proposed by then-Prime Minister Matteo Renzi. However, 59% of voters said no to the changes. After this defeat, Prime Minister Renzi resigned. Mattarella then appointed Paolo Gentiloni as the new prime minister.
The election in March 2018 did not result in any party or group having a clear majority. This led to a difficult period of trying to form a new government. The Five Star Movement (M5S) and the League became the two largest parties.
After many talks, the M5S and the League agreed to form a government. They suggested Giuseppe Conte as prime minister. However, Mattarella disagreed with one of their choices for a minister. He felt this choice was too against the European Union. This caused a brief crisis. Eventually, the parties found a new agreement, and Conte's government was sworn in on 1 June 2018.
In August 2019, the government faced another crisis. The League's leader, Matteo Salvini, tried to bring down the government. Prime Minister Conte resigned. Mattarella then held more talks. A new government was formed between the M5S and the Democratic Party, with Conte remaining as prime minister.
In January 2021, the government faced another crisis when a small party withdrew its support. Prime Minister Conte resigned again. When efforts to form a third Conte government failed, Mattarella asked Mario Draghi to form a national unity government. Draghi, a former head of the European Central Bank, became prime minister on 13 February 2021.
COVID-19 Pandemic Response
During Mattarella's presidency, Italy was severely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. In February 2020, Italy became one of the first countries with many cases. The government quickly introduced measures to control the virus.
On 8 March, a large part of northern Italy was put under lockdown. The next day, the lockdown was extended to the entire country. This meant 60 million people were under strict rules. This was one of the largest lockdowns in history.
The lockdown officially ended on 18 May 2020. Businesses like bars and restaurants reopened. However, new cases rose again later in the year. The government brought back stricter rules, like closing gyms and cinemas.
In March 2021, Prime Minister Draghi put most of Italy under a "full lockdown" again. Factories could stay open, but other businesses closed. Italy also worked to speed up its vaccination program. In August 2021, Italy required a "Green Pass" for many indoor activities and long-distance travel. On 15 October, Italy became the first country to require a vaccination certificate for all workers.
On 31 December 2021, in what was thought to be his last speech, Mattarella thanked Italians for getting vaccinated. He said that wasting vaccines was wrong when others did not have them. He also said he never felt alone during his seven years as president.
Second Term (2022–Present)
Even though he had said he would not run again, President Mattarella was re-elected on 29 January 2022. Most political leaders asked him to accept a second term. He was sworn in on 3 February, calling for unity in Italy.
He also spoke about the crisis between Russia and Ukraine. He said that countries should not fear aggression from their neighbors. After the invasion, Mattarella strongly condemned Russia's actions. He called it a "brutal war."
Government Crisis and New Election (2022)
In July 2022, the M5S party did not support a government bill. This led to a government crisis. Prime Minister Draghi resigned. Mattarella initially rejected his resignation. He asked Draghi to speak to Parliament. However, Draghi's government later lost support in Parliament.
On 21 July, Draghi officially resigned again. Mattarella accepted his resignation. He then dissolved the Parliament, calling for a snap general election. He said that Italy needed to address economic difficulties and energy costs quickly.
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The election was held on 25 September 2022. A centre-right coalition led by Giorgia Meloni won a majority of seats. On 20 October, Mattarella began talks to form a new government. The centre-right coalition proposed Meloni as prime minister.
Mattarella then asked Meloni to form a new cabinet. Her government was sworn in on 22 October. Giorgia Meloni became the first woman to serve as Prime Minister of Italy.
In February 2024, Mattarella spoke out about police actions during student protests. He said that police authority comes from protecting freedom, not from using force. He added that "using truncheons is a failure" with young people.
In May 2024, Mattarella encouraged Italians to vote in the European election. He called voting a "civic duty." Some politicians criticized his words, saying Italy should not give up its power to the European Union. Mattarella later said that Italy needs "loyalty to the Republic more than ever."
Honours
National Honours
Italy: Head and Grand Cross with Collar of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic (3 February 2015)- Italy: Head of the Military Order of Italy (3 February 2015)
- Italy: Head of the Order of Merit for Labour (3 February 2015)
- Italy: Head of the Order of the Star of Italy (3 February 2015)
- Italy: Recipient (gold medal) of the Italian Order of Merit for Culture and Art (27 December 1991)
- Italy: Grand Cross of the Order of Merit of the Italian Red Cross (9 July 2019)
Foreign Honours
Algeria: Collar of the National Order of Merit (6 November 2021)
Angola: Recipient of the Order of Agostinho Neto (25 May 2023)
Argentina: Collar of the Order of the Liberator General San Martin (8 May 2017)
Armenia: Grand Cross of the Order of Glory (30 July 2018)
Austria: Grand Star of the Decoration of Honour for Services to the Republic of Austria (1 July 2019)
Azerbaijan: Heydar Aliyev Order (18 July 2018)
Belgium: Grand Cordon of the Order of Leopold (1 December 2021)
Brazil: Grand Collar of the National Order of the Southern Cross (15 July 2024)
Bulgaria: Grand Cross of the Order of the Balkan Mountains (12 September 2016)
Cameroon: Grand Cross of the Cameroon Order of Valour (11 March 2016)
Cyprus: Grand Collar of the Order of Makarios III (26 February 2024)
Estonia: Collar of the Order of the Cross of Terra Mariana (2 July 2018)
Finland: Grand Cross with Collar of the Order of the White Rose (27 September 2017)
France: Grand Cross of the Order of the Legion of Honour (5 July 2021)
Germany: Grand Cross Special Class of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany (19 September 2019)
Greece: Grand cross of the Order of the Redeemer (26 November 2015)
Ivory Coast: Grand Cross of the National Order of the Ivory Coast (4 April 2024)
Latvia: Commander Grand Cross with Chain of the Order of the Three Stars (29 June 2018)
Lithuania: Grand Cross with Golden Chain of the Order of Vytautas the Great (5 July 2018)
Malta: Honorary Companions of Honour with Collar of the National Order of Merit (13 September 2017)
Mexico: Collar of the Order of the Aztec Eagle (4 July 2016)
Netherlands: Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Netherlands Lion (20 June 2017)
Norway: Grand Cross of the Order of Saint Olav (6 April 2016)
Paraguay: Collar of the National Order of Merit (19 January 2023)
Poland: Knight of the Order of the White Eagle (17 April 2023)
Portugal: Grand Collar of the Order of Liberty (6 December 2017)
Romania: Collar of the Order of the Star of Romania (11 June 2016)
San Marino: Collar of the Order of San Marino (5 October 2021)
Slovenia: Member of the Order for Exceptional Merits (21 October 2021)
South Korea: Recipient of the Grand Order of Mugunghwa (7 October 2023)
Sovereign Military Order of Malta: Collar of the Order pro Merito Melitensi (27 October 2016)
Spain:- Knight of the Collar of the Order of Isabella the Catholic (8 November 2021)
- Knight of the Collar of the Royal and Distinguished Spanish Order of Charles III (11 December 2024)
Sweden: Knight of the Royal Order of the Seraphim (13 November 2018)
United Kingdom: Honorary Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire (as Minister of Defence) (16 October 2000)
Vatican: Knight with the Collar of the Order of Pope Pius IX (17 April 2015)- Vatican: Paul VI Prize (29 May 2023)
See also
In Spanish: Sergio Mattarella para niños
