The Christopher Columbus Foundation, whose complete name is Christopher Columbus Foundation for Freedoms (''Fondazione Cristoforo Colombo per le Libertà'', FCL) was an organization and think tank connected to
The People of Freedom
The People of Freedom ( it, Il Popolo della Libertà, PdL) was a centre-right political party in Italy. The PdL, launched by Silvio Berlusconi on 18 November 2007, was initially a federation of political parties, notably including Forza Italia a ...
(PdL), a
political party in Italy
This article contains a list of political parties in Italy since Italian unification in 1861.
Throughout history, numerous political parties have been operating in Italy, and since World War II no party has ever gained enough support to govern ...
. Its leader is Christian democrat
Claudio Scajola
Claudio Scajola (; born 15 January 1948 in Imperia (city), Imperia) is an Italian politician, current Mayor of Imperia (city), Imperia.
Career
A long-time Christian Democracy (Italy), Christian Democrat, he was Mayor of Imperia (city), Imperia ...
.
Background
The group around
Claudio Scajola
Claudio Scajola (; born 15 January 1948 in Imperia (city), Imperia) is an Italian politician, current Mayor of Imperia (city), Imperia.
Career
A long-time Christian Democracy (Italy), Christian Democrat, he was Mayor of Imperia (city), Imperia ...
wielded a strong influence within
Forza Italia
Forza ItaliaThe name is not usually translated into English: ''forza'' is the second-person singular imperative of ''forzare'', in this case translating to "to compel" or "to press", and so means something like "Forward, Italy", "Come on, Ital ...
, the main precursor of the PdL. During his five years as national coordinator of the party (1996–2001), Scajola built Forza Italia as a modern mass party and prepared it for several electoral victories. Scajola was minister in all governments of
Silvio Berlusconi
Silvio Berlusconi ( ; ; born 29 September 1936) is an Italian media tycoon and politician who served as Prime Minister of Italy in four governments from 1994 to 1995, 2001 to 2006 and 2008 to 2011. He was a member of the Chamber of Deputies ...
(2001–2006, 2008–present) until his resignation as minister of Economic Development in early 2010 over a scandal.
History
After having left active politics for a while in 2010, Scajola soon started to re-organize his faction, whose leading members included
Massimo Berruti,
Paolo Russo,
Maria Teresa Armosino,
Ignazio Abrignani,
Michele Scandroglio
Michele (), is an Italian male given name, akin to the English male name Michael.
Michele (pronounced ), is also an English female given name that is derived from the French Michèle. It is a variant spelling of the more common (and identically ...
,
Salvatore Cicu,
Sandro Biasotti
Sandro Biasotti (born 2 July 1948) is an Italian entrepreneur and politician, former President of Liguria from 2000 to 2005.
Biography
Biasotti is the son of an entrepreneur active in the field of freight transport and built an entrepreneurial ...
,
Roberto Cassinelli
Roberto Cassinelli (born 10 December 1956) is an Italian politician and lawyer, Member of the Italian Chamber of Deputies.
Studies and professional life
Cassinelli was born in Genoa, and attended the catholic college Vittorino da Feltre in the ...
,
Raffaele Lauro
Raffaele Lauro (born 10 February 1944, in Sorrento) is an Italian politician, member of the Senate of the Republic (Italy), Senate of Italy, prefect and a private adviser for institutional relations and communication.
Early life and education
Ra ...
,
Paolo Tancredi and
Giustina Destro
Giustina Mistrello Destro (Padua, 9 June 1945) is an Italian politician and entrepreneur.
An entrepreneur by profession, Destro joined politics relatively late in her life. In 1999 she formed a list for Padua municipal election and ran as an ind ...
. Most of them were former
Christian Democrats
__NOTOC__
Christian democratic parties are political parties that seek to apply Christian principles to public policy. The underlying Christian democracy movement emerged in 19th-century Europe, largely under the influence of Catholic social tea ...
, while others shared with Scajola the regional upbringing, hailing from
Liguria
Liguria (; lij, Ligûria ; french: Ligurie) is a Regions of Italy, region of north-western Italy; its Capital city, capital is Genoa. Its territory is crossed by the Alps and the Apennine Mountains, Apennines Mountain chain, mountain range and is ...
, Scajola's power base, or neighbouring
Piedmont
it, Piemontese
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.
In November 2010 the Christopher Columbus Foundation (FCL) was formed by Scajola in order to re-discover the original spirit of Forza Italia. The association was joined by ''Scajoliani'' and also by
Antonio Martino
Antonio Martino (22 December 1942 – 5 March 2022) was an Italian politician, who was the minister of foreign affairs in 1994 and minister of defense from 2001 to 2006. He was a founding member of Forza Italia.
Life and career
Born in Mess ...
, a former
Liberal
Liberal or liberalism may refer to:
Politics
* a supporter of liberalism
** Liberalism by country
* an adherent of a Liberal Party
* Liberalism (international relations)
* Sexually liberal feminism
* Social liberalism
Arts, entertainment and m ...
who was number two of Forza Italia in 1994 and minister of Foreign Affairs in
Berlusconi's first government, as well as other liberals, such as
Gregorio Fontana
Gregorio Fontana, born Giovanni Battista Lorenzo Fontana (7 December 1735 – 24 August 1803) was an Italian mathematician and a religious of the Piarist order. He was chair of mathematics at the university of Pavia succeeding Roger Joseph Boscov ...
, and leading Christian democrats of the party, including
Mario Baccini
Mario Baccini (born 14 December 1957 in Rome) is an Italian politician, former member of the Union of Christian and Centre Democrats and promoter of the White Rose.
Biography
He started his political activity as town councilor in Rome, for th ...
and
Osvaldo Napoli.
In early 2011 Scajola, who had been cleared of any wrongdoing, started to prepare a strong comeback. At the beginning of March he declared that he had 62 MPs behind him and asked Berlusconi either a major role in the party organization or a return in government. Soon after Scajola criticized how the fusion between Forza Italia and
National Alliance (AN) had been done, demanded a bigger role for those coming from Forza Italia and threatened to form separate parliamentary groups from the PdL.
The threat was renewed in October 2011, when Scajola and his followers asked for a new government, still led by Berlusconi, but with the
Union of the Centre in it. A vote of confidence on Berlusconi's government was set on 14 October 2011, and Scajola announced that his group would vote for the government. However, he was not able two prevent two
Venetian deputies, Giustina Destro and
Fabio Gava
Fabio Gava (born 26 October 1949 in Godega di Sant'Urbano) is an Italian politician from Veneto.
A member of the Italian Liberal Party (PLI) since 1967, he joined Forza Italia (FI) in 1993 following his long-time friend Giancarlo Galan. Elected ...
from voting against the government, which survived the vote anyway.
On 2 November Destro and Gava, along with
Roberto Antonione
The name Robert is an ancient Germanic given name, from Proto-Germanic "fame" and "bright" (''Hrōþiberhtaz''). Compare Old Dutch ''Robrecht'' and Old High German ''Hrodebert'' (a compound of '' Hruod'' ( non, Hróðr) "fame, glory, honou ...
,
Giorgio Stracquadanio,
Isabella Bertolini
Isabella Bertolini (born 21 July 1963) is an Italian politician.
Biography
She started her political activity in the youth organization of the Italian Liberal Party.
Bertolini ran with Forza Italia in the 1994 general election in the "Modena - S ...
and
Giancarlo Pittelli
Giancarlo is an Italian given name meaning "John Charles". It is one of the most common masculine given names in Italy and is often short for "Giovanni Carlo". Notable people with the name include:
List
A
* Giancarlo Agazzi (1933–1995), Italia ...
, promoted an open letter in which they asked Berlusconi to step down and called for a new executive. Four "moderate" ''Scajoliani'' (Paolo Russo,
Pietro Testoni,
Andrea Orsini and
Guglielmo Picchi) were present at the meeting, but did not sign the letter. Contextually, Antonione announced that he was leaving the party.
/ref>
Leadership
*President: Claudio Scajola
Claudio Scajola (; born 15 January 1948 in Imperia (city), Imperia) is an Italian politician, current Mayor of Imperia (city), Imperia.
Career
A long-time Christian Democracy (Italy), Christian Democrat, he was Mayor of Imperia (city), Imperia ...
(2010–present)
**Secretary-General: Paolo Russo (2010–present)
**Deputy Secretary-General: Massimo Berruti (2010–present)
**Treasurer: Giustina Destro
Giustina Mistrello Destro (Padua, 9 June 1945) is an Italian politician and entrepreneur.
An entrepreneur by profession, Destro joined politics relatively late in her life. In 1999 she formed a list for Padua municipal election and ran as an ind ...
(2010–present)
*Honorary President: Antonio Martino
Antonio Martino (22 December 1942 – 5 March 2022) was an Italian politician, who was the minister of foreign affairs in 1994 and minister of defense from 2001 to 2006. He was a founding member of Forza Italia.
Life and career
Born in Mess ...
(2010–present)
*President of the Political Committee: Mario Baccini
Mario Baccini (born 14 December 1957 in Rome) is an Italian politician, former member of the Union of Christian and Centre Democrats and promoter of the White Rose.
Biography
He started his political activity as town councilor in Rome, for th ...
(2010–present)
*President of the Scientific Committee: Raffaele Lauro
Raffaele Lauro (born 10 February 1944, in Sorrento) is an Italian politician, member of the Senate of the Republic (Italy), Senate of Italy, prefect and a private adviser for institutional relations and communication.
Early life and education
Ra ...
(2010–present)
References
External links
Christopher Columbus Foundation
{{People of Freedom factions
Organisations associated with The People of Freedom