In 2013, almost all parties asked the veteran Italian parliamentarian to serve for a second term, and he finally agreed to be re-elected, albeit with some hesitation due to his old age.
Giorgio Napolitano, born in Naples on June 29, 1925, graduated in law in that city.
He belonged to the Italian Communist Party
In 1945, he joined the Italian Communist Party (PCI), and in the following years he held positions at various levels. He was active in the Renaissance movement in southern Italy.
In 1953, he was elected for the first time to the House of Representatives on behalf of the Communist Party. Three years later, he supported the Soviet Union’s intervention in Hungary, where there was an uprising against the communist regime. He then made a self-criticism about this position in his autobiography.
Giorgio Napolitano was a deputy for ten consecutive terms in the lower house of parliament, including eight terms as a representative of the Communist Party. He also served twice in the European Parliament.
He was a member of the Communist Party, which led to its dissolution in 1991 and the founding of the Democratic Left Party.
From 1992 to 1994 he was Speaker of the House of Representatives.
In the government of Romano Prodi, he served as Minister of the Interior in the period 1996-1998.
He became president at the age of 81
When the center-left won the elections in 2006, Napolitano was put forward as a candidate to succeed Carlo Azeglio Ciampi in parliament to elect the president. He began his term as head of state at the age of 81.
In 2011, the president faced a serious political and financial crisis in the country, which led to the fall of Silvio Berlusconi’s last government.
Faced with impending chaos and a dire economic situation, Napolitano resolved the impasse by appointing Mario Monti’s expert government. The calm and decisiveness with which he reacted led to him naming him Re Giorgio (King George).
The head of state’s seven-year term ended in 2013. Napolitano, who was 88 years old at the time, was able to bid farewell to Benedict XVI due to the near end of his presidency. At the same time, he ruled out remaining in his position, citing his age. But it was the 86-year-old Pope who then resigned, explaining his loss of power and deteriorating health.
At his inauguration for his second term, he rebuked the representatives
Due to the balance of power, the parliament elected in March 2013 was unable to appoint a government or elect a new president. Therefore, representatives of various groups were able to convince Napolitano to stay for a second term. Napolitano agreed to this, explaining that he was doing so out of a sense of duty and responsibility towards the country, but he did not hide his dissatisfaction with the situation in Parliament. In his second inaugural address, he literally berated representatives and senators for their inability to communicate.
The president resigned two years into his second term in 2015. He was 90 years old at the time. The political situation has stabilized enough to enable the election of the next president. This position was taken by Sergio Mattarella, who a year ago, also due to the impasse, was forced to make a similar decision to his predecessor.
As a former president, Giorgio Napolitano served as a senator for life. As long as his power allowed, he participated in key meetings and votes in the Senate. In one of his speeches, when he was over 90 years old, he accused parliamentarians of not working hard enough.
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