Anna Maria Bernini (born 17 August 1965) is an Italian politician, lawyer, and university professor. She has been elected to the Italian

Chamber of Deputies The chamber of deputies is the lower house in many bicameral legislatures and the sole house in some unicameral legislatures. Description Historically, French Chamber of Deputies was the lower house of the French Parliament during the Bourb ...

and Senate of the Republic, and has served as Minister of European Affairs. She is currently Minister of University and Research.

Biography

Bernini is a civil and administrative lawyer and associate professor of Compared Public Law at the

University of Bologna The University of Bologna (, abbreviated Unibo) is a Public university, public research university in Bologna, Italy. Teaching began around 1088, with the university becoming organised as guilds of students () by the late 12th century. It is the ...

, where she later taught also Institutions of Public Law, and Law of International and Internal Arbitration and of the alternative procedures. She completed her legal training by participating in several study abroad programs at the

University of Michigan The University of Michigan (U-M, U of M, or Michigan) is a public university, public research university in Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States. Founded in 1817, it is the oldest institution of higher education in the state. The University of Mi ...

, the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) in Paris, the

London Court of International Arbitration The London Court of International Arbitration (LCIA) is the oldest arbitral body in the world dealing with international disputes. It was founded as a British private company limited by guarantee with a head office in London. It offers dispu ...

(LCIA), Queen Mary College, the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators of London, the Institut du Droit et des Pratiques des Affaires Internationales de la Chambre de Commerce Internationale and the American Arbitration Association (AAA).

Political career

In 2007, Bernini was one of the promoters of the FareFuturo association founded by

Gianfranco Fini Gianfranco Fini (born 3 January 1952) is a retired Italian politician who served as the president of the Italian Chamber of Deputies from 2008 to 2013 and Deputy Prime Minister from 2001 to 2006. He is the former leader of the far-right Italian ...

. She also joined Fini's

National Alliance National Alliance may refer to: Electoral alliances *National Alliance (Egypt) (2015) * National Alliance (Ireland) (2024 onwards) * National Alliance (Pakistan) (2002-2004) *Nation Alliance (Turkey) (2018-2023) Political parties and organizations ...

party. She was elected to the Chamber of Deputies in the

2008 Italian general election A snap election was held in Italy on 13–14 April 2008. The election came after President of Italy, President Giorgio Napolitano dissolved the Italian Parliament on 6 February 2008, following the 2008 Italian political crisis, defeat of the gov ...

with

The People of Freedom The People of Freedom (, PdL) was a centre-right political party in Italy. The PdL launched by Silvio Berlusconi as an electoral list, including and National Alliance, on 27 February for the 2008 Italian general election. The list was later t ...

. In 2010 she was candidate in the Emilia-Romagna regional election, losing against

Vasco Errani Vasco Errani (born 17 May 1955) is an Italian politician. He was a founding member of the Democratic Party (PD), which he has left on 22 February 2017, to join Article 1 – Democratic and Progressive Movement, a party founded by the former PD ...

. On 27 July 2011 she was appointed Minister of European Affairs, following the resignation of Andrea Ronchi. In the

2013 Italian general election General elections were held in Italy on 24 and 25 February 2013 to determine the 630 members of the Chamber of Deputies (Italy), Chamber of Deputies and the 315 elective members of the Senate of the Republic (Italy), Senate of the Republic for ...

she was elected to the Senate of the Republic. She is later re-elected at the 2018 general election and proposed by the Northern League as a possible candidate for the role of

President of the Senate President of the Senate is a title often given to the presiding officer of a senate. It corresponds to the Speaker (politics), speaker in some other assemblies. The senate president often ranks high in a jurisdiction's Order of succession, succes ...

, but she refused, choosing to endorse her party colleague

Maria Elisabetta Alberti Casellati Maria Elisabetta Alberti (born 12 August 1946), known by her married name as Maria Elisabetta Alberti Casellati, is an Italian lawyer and politician, serving as Minister for Institutional Reforms since 2022. She was President of the Italian Sena ...

. On 27 March 2018, Bernini is elected group leader of

Forza Italia (FI; ) was a centre-right liberal-conservative political party in Italy, with Christian democratic,Chiara Moroni, , Carocci, Rome 2008 liberalOreste Massari, ''I partiti politici nelle democrazie contempoiranee'', Laterza, Rome-Bari 2004 (esp ...

at the

Senate A senate is a deliberative assembly, often the upper house or chamber of a bicameral legislature. The name comes from the ancient Roman Senate (Latin: ''Senatus''), so-called as an assembly of the senior (Latin: ''senex'' meaning "the el ...

Political positions

Dissenting from the majority of her party, Bernini is fully favourable to the

recognition of same-sex unions in Italy Italy has recognised civil unions since 5 June 2016, providing same-sex couples with almost all of the legal protections, benefits and rights of marriage. A bill to this effect was approved by the Senate on 25 February 2016 and by the Chamber o ...

and to the stepchild adoption.

Family

Anna Maria Bernini was the daughter of Giorgio Bernini (1928–2020), who was a lawyer for the United Nations and

politician, minister of foreign trade in Berlusconi's first cabinet. She was married to Luciano Bovicelli, 30 years her senior, a noted gynecologist, who died in 2011.E’ morto il dottor Bovicelli, marito dell’ex ministro Bernini
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Electoral history

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Bernini, Anna Maria Politicians from Bologna National Alliance (Italy) politicians The People of Freedom politicians Forza Italia (2013) senators 1965 births Living people Women government ministers of Italy Senators of Legislature XVII of Italy Senators of Legislature XVIII of Italy 21st-century Italian women politicians Meloni Cabinet Women members of the Senate of the Republic (Italy) 21st-century Italian lawyers