Laura Boldrini is the new Speaker of the House. The deputy from Sel achieved the absolute majority of votes necessary for election to the third state office, obtaining 327 preferences. All the deputies, including the grillini, stood up to applaud the achievement of the quorum. The only exception were the PDL deputies, who remained seated.
“I am very satisfied – commented the secretary of the Democratic Party, Pier Luigi Bersani -. We have put forward two candidates with a huge profile of change, a huge moral and civic profile. I hope that the same goes in the Senate as well ”.
At Palazzo Madama the centre-left proposed the name of Piero Grasso, a former anti-mafia prosecutor. Pdl and Lega are aiming instead for the reconfirmation of Renato Schifani. If the candidate of the M5S, Luis Alberto Orellana, remains out, the 5 Stars could become decisive in the ballot.
Boldrini is the third woman in the history of the Republic to be elected to the presidency of the Chamber. Before her only Nilde Jotti (MP of the PCI) and Irene Pivetti (elected with the League but then left the party of Umberto Bossi).
According to what can be read in the biography published on his website www.lauraboldrini.it, Boldrini worked for over 20 years in United Nations agencies, participating in various missions in crisis areas, including Ex-Yugoslavia, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iraq , Iran, Sudan, Caucasus, Angola and Rwanda.
From 1998 to 2013 she was spokesperson for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) for southern Europe, dealing with migratory flows in the Mediterranean.
He has received numerous awards, including the Official Medal of the National Commission for equality and equal opportunities between men and women (1999), the title of Cavaliere Ordine al Merito della Repubblica Italiana (2004), the Consort Award of the President of the Republic (2006), the Journalist Award for Lifetime Achievement Press Officer of the Year of the National Council of Journalists (2009), the Renato Benedetto Fabrizi Award of the ANPI (2011).
In April 2010 he published for Rizzoli "TuttiBack", a volume in which he collected the stories of various refugees.
