Women Politicians In Italy

"Tina Anselmi is a very likeable woman. [...] She has a serious, frank and straightforward manner, down-to-earth, without insincere modesty or off-putting arrogance. She has a beautiful, ever-present smile and a lovely, clear complexion. She possesses that special phlegmatic serenity and human understanding towards everyone which are the qualities of a mediator by vocation."

"(At the funeral of Nilde Iotti) She had a conception of democracy in which a political opponent is a friend. She always considered the other person’s point of view."

"I’m a person who moves on – not in terms of my feelings or values, but in terms of my professional experiences and life in general."

"She's no turncoat, but what happened to her is monstrous. Today's Pivetti, all leather and studs, bald and with her breasts exposed, looks like the daughter of that woman in the Chamber of Deputies with her scarf and little suit."

"Faith is part of my body, just like the nervous system, the bones or the blood: you know you have all these things, but you don’t always mention them."

"The rest of the cast, just to be fair, was made up as follows. The mother of a child who had received a miracle from Padre Pio. The friar who acts as spokesperson for the Padre Pio Foundation. The Catholic scholar Vittorio Messori, who recounted having received a miracle from Padre Pio: a letter had been delivered to his home just one hour after being posted by Padre Pio. Luciano Rispoli, who was married by Padre Pio. And above all the devout Irene Pivetti, who never met Padre Pio but is living proof of the existence of miracles: no one can rationally explain how she managed to become Speaker of the House."

"I’ve learnt not to yearn for things, but to make the best of what I have."

"(About the secession called for by Umberto Bossi) The only thing that is sacrosanct in the Constitution is the republican form of government, yet we have had a monarchist party for years. If the rules of democracy are respected, there are no problems."

"(About the Mantua parliament) There has been endless rambling and pointless squabbling about that, but no one has pointed out that in Italy there is no chamber called ‘Parliament’: there is a Chamber of Deputies and a Senate. The one in Mantua, I believe, has a different name."

"Irene Pivetti. She had received so much from the League and threw it all away."

"As a citizen, and as President of the Chamber of Deputies, I bow to the Constitution and pledge to strictly fulfil my institutional mandate. As a Catholic, I cannot but entrust my work in this Parliament – and, in prayer, the life of the nation – to the will of God, to whom the destinies of all nations and of history belong."

"[On constitutional reform] We will have to tackle specific constitutional changes together, and this is why our sense of responsibility towards all Italians must be all the greater, at a time when they have called upon us to write a new chapter in our history."

"The Constitution was her civil Gospel. The Constitution "born of the Resistance": she often quoted it and used it as a compass, as a point of reference when she had to make political decisions."

"Credo che la giornata più difficile, più dolorosa, sia stata sicuramente quella del comunicato del Lago della Duchessa [18 aprile 1978]. Fu un momento molto doloroso, molto difficile, quello di dire alla moglie e ai figli che c'era questa ipotesi di una possibile uccisione di Aldo Moro. Tuttavia non posso dimenticare che quando i figli e io stessa ci mettemmo a piangere, la signora Moro, con una grandissima forza d'animo, prima ci invitò a pregare e poi disse: "Vabbè, aspettate un momento che vado a farvi un buon caffè; ci vuole un buon caffè". E così fece. Passai con loro parecchie ore, perché appunto si era in attesa di qualche conferma o di qualcosa che smentisse il comunicato."

"(About the contradiction highlighted by Gianfranco Fini between being an institutional figure and a member of the Lega Nord) Being a member of the Lega is not unconstitutional or unlawful. I remain a Lega MP, even though I am not taking any action in this capacity, because I respect the rules. [...] In this Parliament there are committee chairmen who were officers of the Republic of Salò. And Mr Fini should know that very well."

"Il mio rammarico è che non si è voluto continuare a indagare, a studiare il nostro lavoro, ad andare fino in fondo, a leggere, a soppesare i 120 volumi degli atti della Commissione, che tutti potrebbero consultare, che si trovano nella biblioteca della Camera"

"(About the possibility of criminal charges for the secessionist remarks made by Umberto Bossi) The opinions expressed by MPs in the Chamber are beyond reproach. A constitutional expert should weigh in on this, but as far as I am concerned, freedom of expression takes precedence over everything. In the Chamber, at least. Of course, it would be a different matter if Bossi, outside Montecitorio, were to tell his supporters, ‘Get ready, we’re going to secede’."

"[Three adjectives to describe yourself?] Moody. Determined. Sensitive."

"(About Francesco Boccia) At the beginning of our relationship, he was a free spirit, very much aligned with the libertine ideal embodied by Franco Califano, his idol and dearest friend. I was insecure and saw danger everywhere; today, I don’t. Family comes first for both of us. However, at the start of our relationship, he was easily distracted—that’s for sure."

"Interviewer: What is your erotic fantasy? De Girolamo: Doing it in public, on a beach or in the street, without worrying about prying eyes."

"It’s easier to be on TV. Politics is much harsher than the small screen."

"I’m very straight, but anything can happen—who knows? I get hit on by men but also by lots of women. Today I received a letter from a lesbian girl who wrote that I’m her ideal woman. And I also have lots of foot fetishists who’d do anything for me, even though I’m a size 10—not exactly Cinderella’s shoe size."

"(About Togliatti's memorial) It is not true that Togliatti was exploited, that the memorial was used against Khrushchev. I do not see a connection between the memorial and the fall of Khrushchev. The great process that would lead to this event was already underway in the USSR."

"Talking about amnesty in the case of the Years of Lead would be out of place. Let's not forget that the armed struggle was waged against a democratic state, not against a fascist regime."

"(About his last trip to Russia) Togliatti was concerned about relations between the USSR and China, and about the situation between the party and intellectuals that had arisen after Khrushchev had taken a very rigid and harsh stance."

"(Aboout the Togliatti amnesty of 1946) The amnesty helped break the continuity with a regime that constantly preached revenge."

"(About Togliatti's failure to participate in the Resistance movement) I assure you that Togliatti was not far from the Resistance. He was a cold man, yes. But he hated badges, and the only one he always wanted to show off was the one given to him by the Volunteer Corps of Freedom. If he could have, he would have parachuted into northern Italy. Cold, yes, but he had utopia inside him."

"(About the the of the 1990 high school graduation exam) I would have proposed a different topic. I would have set the Italian exam paper on: “What are the elements that—historically, culturally, and institutionally—define the unity of a country, in a world that, on the one hand, increasingly values particular realities (from an ethnic, traditional, or cultural point of view) and, on the other, broader supranational dimensions?”"

"(Abot attack to Palmiro Togliatti) When, a few days after his surgery, he was allowed to read the newspapers, Togliatti wanted to read the reports of the attack. He was struck by a nine-column headline in L'Unità: “Away with the government of civil war.” I remember his comment: if they had written “Away with the Minister of the Interior,” that would have been a request that was not only plausible but also acceptable! And in fact, it later emerged that in the Council of Ministers, which met urgently on the same day as the attack, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Carlo Sforza, and his undersecretary, a very young Aldo Moro, had raised the issue of the Minister of the Interior's resignation."

"(About the request for a new Constituent Assembly during Tangentopoli) A constituent assembly is convened when there is such a rupture within the country, as happened after the war and after the fall of fascism, and this was indispensable. Even in the presence of very serious events, of a dangerous degeneration of the political system, we are not in a post-war situation, and resorting to a constituent assembly seems to me to be truly excessive."

"Interviewer: In recent months, you have become even more popular because you are the author of a proposal to drastically reduce—if not halve—the number of deputies and senators. Why? Nilde Iotti: In 1948, when the Constitution of the Italian Republic came into force, we were emerging from fascism and there was a need to reestablish a relationship, a democratic fabric with society. But now there are: Regional Councils, which were elected in 1970, Provincial Councils, Municipal Councils. We are faced with a much more complex society, a more complex democracy. So, I believe that the number of parliamentarians is really too high."

"(About women's commitments beyond work) When I started my political career, I had a home and had to think about that too, in addition to the thousand commitments that political life entails. :*‘’Parliament celebrates Nilde Iotti's 70th birthday‘’, ‘'La Stampa’', April 10, 1990."

"(About the Bicameral Committee for Constitutional Reforms) The conditions are in place for positive work. We must all carry it out with the best interests of our country in mind. We will and must be judged on this work."

"(About the attack to Palmiro Togliatti) It is impossible to understand that dramatic event without recalling the heated climate that followed the Christian Democrats' resounding election victory on April 18, 1948. That climate was very important, it was decisive. No one could have imagined that the election campaign led by the Church of Pius XII and the civic committees of Luigi Gedda could reach such a degree of violence. A violence that did not abate on the part of the victors even after their overwhelming success. That atmosphere, I repeat, was undoubtedly at the root of the attack to Togliatti. :*‘’Four gunshots to kill the Best‘’, ‘'la Repubblica’', July 14, 1998."

"We loved the mountains. Togliatti was a keen walker, as was I."

"(About her relationship with Palmiro Togliatti) To think that I could have made an emotional ultimatum such as “if you stay in Russia, I'll leave you” is to ignore the nature of our relationship and Togliatti's temperament. :*‘’A story of love and politics‘’, ‘'La Stampa’', March 28, 1987."

"The Resistance was an extraordinary event. It achieved a truly exceptional unity that ranged from Badoglio's officers to communist workers."

"(Referring to the Northern League) The leagues stir up old ideas of separation and selfishness that call national unity into question."

"The presence of women in Parliament has elevated women's issues as an integral part of Italian political life. In the past, these issues were kept on the sidelines."

"In the democratic system established by the Constitution, the Parliament, and only the Parliament, is the expression of the will of the people. Our Constitution does not allow the country to be without a Parliament endowed with its powers for even a single day."

"(About Massimo D'Alema secretary of the Democratic Party of the Left) At a time like this, we need a party leader with many skills."

"The Constitution does not and cannot have either an ideology or a partisan philosophy."

"We ask that children born outside of marriage be recognized in all respects, both during marriage and when that marriage has broken down, because we believe that this is the only possible solution, the only morally just solution. [...] Children do not ask to be born, and the responsibility for their birth does not lie with them, but with the parents who brought them into the world. Therefore, the responsibility of the parents cannot fall on them."

"(About nuclear armaments) The atomic race has reached a dangerous and intolerable limit, as ordinary citizens in every country understand. The time has come for their leaders to understand this too. :*From a speech to Michelin workers; quoted in ‘’A message of peace and hope from Nilde Iotti visiting the “Granda”‘’, ‘'La Stampa’', March 18, 1985."

"(About the exploratory task of forming a government entrusted to her by Francesco Cossiga) Perhaps to say that it is a historic event is to say too much. But certainly, it is a development of no small importance. :*‘’“I light a candle, so that it won't be me”‘’, ‘'La Stampa’', March 28, 1987."

"(About Palmiro Togliatti) They spoke of his ties to Stalin and his awe, even in difficult times. In reality, he knew him little: they had met on three or four occasions. He admired him as a tough and tenacious fighter, but he understood the revelations of the 20th Congress and was shocked by them. [...] He had a keen sensitivity, a strong propensity to understand. I know that the image of him is different, but I knew him in another way. He defended himself against facts that deeply disturbed him, but his intelligence forced him to accept them as moments in the journey of civilization."

"Since women have been recognized as fully equal in the political sphere, with the right to vote and stand for election, it follows that women themselves must be emancipated from conditions of backwardness and inferiority in all areas of social life, and restored to a legal position that does not undermine their personality and dignity as women and citizens."

"(About the defeat of the Popular Democratic Front in the 1948 elections) On April 18, we found ourselves faced with a population called upon for the first time, unlike in 1946, to choose the parties that would govern after the breakup of the anti-fascist unity. It was a society we knew very little about."

"I believe the time is ripe for a woman as President of the Italian Republic. This is also thanks to the long journey women have made over the past 50 years in the fight for rights and complete equality. :*‘’Bonino: “Yes to the challenge for the Quirinale”‘’, ‘'La Stampa’', March 7, 1999."

"From an interview with ‘'l'Unità’'; quoted in ‘’[http://www.archiviolastampa.it/component/option,com_lastampa/task,search/mod,libera/action,viewer/Itemid,3/page,9/articleid,1326_02_1988_0094_0030_19271116/ Nilde Iotti recalls April 18, 1948. “At that time, the Italian Communist Party did not understand society,” La Stampa, April 16, 1988."