Luca Zaia

Luca Zaia ( born March 27, 1968 in Conegliano, Treviso ) is an Italian politician of the Lega Nord and entrepreneurs. He is the current President of the Veneto Region. In the fourth government of Silvio Berlusconi, he was until March 2010 Italian agriculture and forestry minister.

Political career

Zaia has studied agricultural science with a specialization in animal production at the University of Udine. For his party, the Northern League, he was first in the council of Godega di Urbano. In June 1997, he was elected Provincial President of Treviso and confirmed in this office on June 9, 2002, 69.2 % of the vote in a runoff election.

In May 2005 he was appointed after the victory of the center-right coalition Casa delle Libertà in the regional elections for Vice President of the Veneto Region and took over the office of the regional assessor for agriculture and tourism. From May 2003 to April 2008, he also sat on the city council of Treviso and has since July 2006 a seat in the provincial council of his native province.

On 8 May 2008 he was appointed to the office of the new government of Popolo della Libertà, the Northern League and the Movimento per l' Autonomia for Italian agriculture and forestry minister. He was the only minister in the fourth cabinet Berlusconi, who had never been a candidate for one of the two national chambers of parliament. Previously, he devoted his political activities rather the native Treviso, for above all, he continued transport and tourism- policy priorities in its local offices.

On 28 and 29 March 2010, he was elected with 60.15 % of the vote as the new President of the Veneto Region. The Lega Nord went with 35.15 % and became the strongest party in the region.