Rocco Buttiglione
Rocco Buttiglione ( born June 6, 1948 in Gallipoli, Apulia ) is an Italian politician of the UDC with close ties to the Vatican. In the second and third cabinet of Silvio Berlusconi, he was Minister for European Affairs (2001-2005) and Minister of Culture (2005-2006). Since 6 May 2008, he has served as one of four vice-president of the Italian Chamber of Deputies.
Life
He attended the Massimo D'Azeglio Lyceum in Turin, where he took off in 1966 -leaving examination. He then studied law in Turin and Rome. His thesis dealt with the history of political doctrines. He became an assistant at the Chair of the history of political doctrines of the University of Rome in 1972. In 1973, he joined the University of Urbino.
In 1982 he published a book on the philosophical thought of Pope John Paul II, who learned it in Polish. In 1986 he qualified as a professor of political philosophy at the University of Teramo. In the same year he founded with Josef Seifert, the International Academy of Philosophy of the Principality of Liechtenstein, where he taught until 1994, philosophy, social ethics, economics and politics, and was vice-rector. Most recently, he was Professor of Political Science at the Free University of St. Pius V in Rome.
He was appointed to the papal Social Academy in 1993 and since then has been personal advisor to Pope John Paul II in July 1994, he was elected Chairman of the Partito Popolare Italiano (PPI ), 1995 to head the Cristiani Democratici Uniti ( CDU).
The Catholic University of Lublin gave Buttiglione in May 1994 an honorary doctorate.
He belonged to the Italian Parliament in the 12th, 13th and 14th legislative period 1994-1999. He became a member of the European Parliament in 1999. He was a member of the Committee on freedom and civil rights. From June 2001 to April 2005, he was Minister for Europe and from April 2005 to May 2006 Culture Minister in the Berlusconi government.
2002 determined the prosecution of Monaco on suspicion of money laundering in favor of his party against Buttiglione. However, no evidence was found that he had failed to Monegasque law. Gianpiero Catone, a senior staff Buttiglione was indicted in Italy for fraudulent bankruptcy. Against this also is determined from Italian and EU funds for the disappearance of several million euros.
In August 2004, it was nominated Italy as Vice-President of the European Commission and Commissioner for Justice, Freedom and Security. With his views on homosexuals and the position of women in society during a hearing in the European Parliament he made in early October for excitement. His remarks meant that he was rejected as the first designated member of the ruling from November 2004 EU Commission by a committee of the EU. He eventually voluntarily renounced the office.
In 2006 he stood as a candidate in the mayoral elections of Turin, but received only 29.5% and lost to the incumbent Sergio Chiamparino ( 66.6 %).
Buttiglione is married and has four children. He speaks Italian, German, English, French, Polish, Portuguese and Spanish. His political role model Helmut Kohl.
Works
- Dialettica e Nostalgia. Jaca Book, Milano 1978
- La crisi dell'Economia marxista: Gli Inizi della scuola di Franco Forte. Ed. Studies, Rome 1979
- Il pensiero di Karol Wojtyla. Jaca Book, Milano 1982
- Ethics of power. Busse Seewald, Herford, 1988, ISBN 3-512-00835-6
- La crisi della morale. Dino, Roma 1991
- Human responsibility in a global world age. Winter, Heidelberg 1996, ISBN 3-8253-0453-1
- How to recognize natural law? Winter, Heidelberg 1998, ISBN 3-8253-0675-5