Renato Schifani

Renato Giuseppe Schifani ( born May 11, 1950 in Palermo) is (from 2008 Popolo della Libertà ) an Italian politician and jurist of Forza Italia. For the 16th Parliament of the Italian Parliament, he was elected on 29 April 2008 to the President of the Senate.

Political career

As a trained lawyer Renato Schifani began his political career with the Christian Democrats. In the constituency Fonte Alto - Corleone In 1996 he was first elected on Silvio Berlusconi's center-right coalition in the Senate. In the following elections ( 2001, 2006 and 2008) he was confirmed in each case. From 2001 to 2008 he was also a leader of the Forza Italia in the Senate and worked in the Committee on Spatial Planning and Environment.

After the clear electoral victory of Berlusconi's Popolo della Libertà in the parliamentary elections in 2008, he was (that is, four votes on the majority of the new coalition government ) voted on April 29, on the first ballot with 178 votes to the Senate President and clothed since according to President Giorgio Napolitano, the second- highest office in Italy.

Schifani one of the designated as Berluscones politicians who are distinguished by their loyal following to the Chairman of the Forza Italia. A law which he had worked out in June 2003 with Antonio Maccanico and let pass, the so-called " Maccanico - Schifani arbitration " ( iodo Maccanico - Schifani ) provided for the suspension of all legal proceedings against the politicians in the five highest-ranking public offices and so favored mainly the then reigning Premier Silvio Berlusconi. On 13 January 2004, the law was, however, declared unconstitutional.

Awards

• 2008 Grand Cross of the Order of Merit Pro Merito Melitensi of the Sovereign Order of Malta.