Roberto Maroni

{{Infobox officeholder

| honorific-prefix =

| name = Roberto Maroni

| image = Roberto Maroni 2010 (cropped).jpg

| caption = Maroni in 2010

| office = President of Lombardy

| term_start = 18 March 2013

| term_end = 26 March 2018

| predecessor = Roberto Formigoni

| successor = Attilio Fontana

| office1 = Federal Secretary of Northern League

| term_start1 = 1 July 2012

| term_end1 = 15 December 2013

| predecessor1 = Umberto Bossi

| successor1 = Matteo Salvini

| office2 = Minister of the Interior

| primeminister2 = Silvio Berlusconi

| term_start2 = 8 May 2008

| term_end2 = 16 November 2011

| predecessor2 = Giuliano Amato

| successor2 = Anna Maria Cancellieri

| primeminister3 = Silvio Berlusconi

| term_start3 = 10 May 1994

| term_end3 = 17 January 1995

| predecessor3 = Nicola Mancino

| successor3 = Antonio Brancaccio

| office4 = Minister of Labour

| primeminister4 = Silvio Berlusconi

| term_start4 = 11 June 2001

| term_end4 = 17 May 2006

| predecessor4 = Cesare Salvi

| successor4 = Cesare Damiano

| office5 = Deputy Prime Minister of Italy

| primeminister5 = Silvio Berlusconi

| alongside5 = Giuseppe Tatarella

| term_start5 = 11 May 1994

| term_end5 = 17 January 1995

| office6 = Member of the Chamber of Deputies

| term_start6 = 23 April 1992

| term_end6 = 14 March 2013

| constituency6 = Lombardy

| birth_name = Roberto Ernesto Maroni

| birth_date = {{birth date|1955|3|15|df=y}}

| birth_place = Varese, Italy

| death_date = {{death date and age|2022|11|22|1955|3|15|df=y}}

| death_place = Lozza, Italy

| party = Northern League

| alma_mater = University of Milan

| signature = Firma Roberto Maroni.jpg

| profession = Lawyer

| spouse = Emilia Macchi

| children = 3

| height = {{convert|1.70|m|ftin|abbr=on}}

}}

Roberto Ernesto Maroni ({{IPA|it|roˈbɛrto maˈroːni}}; 15 March 1955 – 22 November 2022)[https://www.repubblica.it/politica/2022/11/22/news/roberto_maroni_morto_ex_ministro_interno_lega-375605247/?ref=tgpr La Repubblica] was an Italian politician from Varese and a past President of Lombardy. He was the leader of the Northern League, a party seeking autonomy or independence for Northern Italy or Padania. From 1992 to 2013 he was a Member of the Chamber of Deputies of the Italian Republic, always elected in Lombard constituencies. He served as Deputy Prime Minister of the Italian Republic in the Berlusconi I executive, from 1994 to 1995. He was Interior Minister of the Italian Republic from 1994 to 1995, and from 2008 to 2011. He was Labour Minister of the Italian Republic from 2001 to 2006.

Career

=Early political career=

In 1979, Maroni received a law degree with a dissertation in Civil Law, from the University of Milan. He became a lawyer after spending two years working as a Legal Affairs Manager for various companies.[http://www.oecd.org/speaker/0,2879,en_21571361_34360727_34508996_1_1_1_1,00.html ] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091011024414/http://www.oecd.org/speaker/0,2879,en_21571361_34360727_34508996_1_1_1_1,00.html |date=11 October 2009 }}

=Secretary of Varese and Minister of Interior=

In 1990, he was elected Province Secretary of the Northern League in Varese. He also became a town councilor in Varese that year. Two years later, he was elected Chairman of the Northern League Parliamentary Group. He also entered the party's Federal Council and campaigned heavily for the Northern League prior to Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi's first Cabinet.

He also served as Minister of the Interior during the first Berlusconi cabinet, from 1994 to 1995. He also served as Minister of Labour and Welfare from 2001 to May 2006 in Berlusconi's second and third cabinets.

In April 2006, after Berlusconi narrowly lost his re-election bid to Romano Prodi, Maroni alleged problems with the election comparable to those in Florida during the 2000 Presidential election. "The level pegging is very similar to what happened in Florida. With one vote more or one vote less, you lose or you win," he said.{{cite news|url=http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/world/2006-04/11/content_565129.htm |title=Prodi claims victory in Italy vote|work=China Daily|date=11 April 2006|access-date=23 December 2012}}

After the 2008 electoral victory of the centre-right coalition in Italy, Maroni assumed the office of Minister of the Interior in the Berlusconi IV Cabinet.

=Secretary of Lega Nord and President of Lombardy (2013–2018)=

Following the forced retirement of Umberto Bossi due to his alleged involvement in a scandal, Maroni was elected Political Secretary of the Northern League at its Congress in Assago (on 30 June and 1 July 2012).{{cite news|title=Roberto Maroni new leader of Italy's Northern League|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/18670764|access-date=23 December 2012|publisher=BBC|date=2 July 2012}}

After the election on 24 February 2013, he became the ninth President of Lombardy.

Passion for music

In September 2006, Maroni told Vanity Fair that he downloads music illegally and thinks music should be "free and accessible to all".{{cite web|last=Warner|first=Bernhard|url=https://variety.com/2006/music/news/right-winger-sparks-piracy-debate-1117950064/|title=Right-winger sparks piracy debate|publisher=Variety|date=14 September 2006|access-date=23 December 2012}} He added that authors should still be able to stop their work from being widely distributed on the Internet. Maroni said his confession was intended to spark a discussion in Parliament about changing Italy's copyright laws, which are among the strictest in Europe.

Basic income

On 12 May 2015, Maroni announced that his intention to introduce a basic income, as a pilot project, "to ensure all families in the region have enough money to be able to pay for basic necessities". He also said that the plan was to use 220 million euros from the European Social Fund (ESF) for the initiative.[http://www.ansa.it/english/news/2015/05/12/lombardy-to-experiment-basic-income-says-maroni-update_703307d8-0be7-4ba3-b423-febfcdc98935.html Lombardy to experiment basic income, says Maroni], ansa.it; accessed 29 June 2015.{{in lang|it}}

Terrorism

Shortly after the 2016 Normandy church attack, Maroni called on the Pope to "immediately proclaim" Jacques Hamel "St Jacques."{{cite news|title=One person detained in Normandy church attack investigation. An Italian politician is urging Pope Francis to put the slain French priest, Fr Jacques Hamel, on a fast track to sainthood|url=http://www.catholicherald.co.uk/news/2016/07/26/one-person-detained-in-normandy-church-attack-investigation/|access-date=27 July 2016|work=The Catholic Herald|date=26 July 2016}}

Electoral history

class=wikitable style="width:65%; border:1px #AAAAFF solid"
width=12%\|Election ! width=30%\|House ! width=30%\|Constituency ! width=5% colspan="2"\|Party ! width=12%\|Votes ! width=15%\|Result
1992 \| Chamber of Deputies \| Como–Sondrio–Varese \| bgcolor="{{party color\|Lega Nord}}" \| \| LL \| 29,618 \| {{tick\|15}} Elected
1994 \| Chamber of Deputies \| Varese \| bgcolor="{{party color\|Lega Nord}}" \| \| LN \| 53,640 \| {{tick\|15}} Elected
1996 \| Chamber of Deputies \| Lombardy 1 \| bgcolor="{{party color\|Lega Nord}}" \| \| LN \| –{{efn\|name=fn1\|Elected in a closed list proportional representation system.}} \| {{tick\|15}} Elected
2001 \| Chamber of Deputies \| Varese \| bgcolor="{{party color\|Lega Nord}}" \| \| LN \| 45,905 \| {{tick\|15}} Elected
2006 \| Chamber of Deputies \| Lombardy 2 \| bgcolor="{{party color\|Lega Nord}}" \| \| LN \| –{{efn\|name=fn1\|Elected in a closed list proportional representation system.}} \| {{tick\|15}} Elected
2008 \| Chamber of Deputies \| Lombardy 2 \| bgcolor="{{party color\|Lega Nord}}" \| \| LN \| –{{efn\|name=fn1\|Elected in a closed list proportional representation system.}} \| {{tick\|15}} Elected

class=wikitable style="width:65%; border:1px #AAAAFF solid"

width=12%|Election

! width=30%|House

! width=30%|Constituency

! width=5% colspan="2"|Party

! width=12%|Votes

! width=15%|Result

1992

| Chamber of Deputies

| Como–Sondrio–Varese

| bgcolor="{{party color|Lega Nord}}" |

| LL

| 29,618

| {{tick|15}} Elected

1994

| Chamber of Deputies

| Varese

| bgcolor="{{party color|Lega Nord}}" |

| LN

| 53,640

| {{tick|15}} Elected

1996

| Chamber of Deputies

| Lombardy 1

| bgcolor="{{party color|Lega Nord}}" |

| LN

| –{{efn|name=fn1|Elected in a closed list proportional representation system.}}

| {{tick|15}} Elected

2001

| Chamber of Deputies

| Varese

| bgcolor="{{party color|Lega Nord}}" |

| LN

| 45,905

| {{tick|15}} Elected

2006

| Chamber of Deputies

| Lombardy 2

| bgcolor="{{party color|Lega Nord}}" |

| LN

| –{{efn|name=fn1|Elected in a closed list proportional representation system.}}

| {{tick|15}} Elected

2008

| Chamber of Deputies

| Lombardy 2

| bgcolor="{{party color|Lega Nord}}" |

| LN

| –{{efn|name=fn1|Elected in a closed list proportional representation system.}}

| {{tick|15}} Elected

=First-past-the-post elections=

class=wikitable style=text-align:right
colspan=5\|1994 general election (C): Varese
colspan=2\|Candidate !Coalition !Votes !%
bgcolor="{{party color\|Pole of Freedoms}}"\| \|align=left\|Roberto Maroni \|align=left\|Pole of Freedoms \|53,640 \|61.4
bgcolor="{{party color\|Progressives (Italy)}}"\| \|align=left\|Angelo Guerraggio \|align=left\|Alliance of Progressives \|16,221 \|18.5
bgcolor="{{party color\|Segni Pact}}"\| \|align=left\|Pier Maria Morresi \|align=left\|Pact for Italy \|11,507 \|13.2
bgcolor="{{party color\|National Alliance (Italy)}}"\| \|align=left\|Luigi Federiconi \|align=left\|National Alliance \|6,060 \|6.9
align=left colspan=3\|Total \|87,428 \|100.0

class=wikitable style=text-align:right

colspan=5|1994 general election (C): Varese

colspan=2|Candidate

!Coalition

!Votes

bgcolor="{{party color|Pole of Freedoms}}"|

|align=left|Roberto Maroni

|align=left|Pole of Freedoms

|53,640

|61.4

bgcolor="{{party color|Progressives (Italy)}}"|

|align=left|Angelo Guerraggio

|align=left|Alliance of Progressives

|16,221

|18.5

bgcolor="{{party color|Segni Pact}}"|

|align=left|Pier Maria Morresi

|align=left|Pact for Italy

|11,507

|13.2

bgcolor="{{party color|National Alliance (Italy)}}"|

|align=left|Luigi Federiconi

|align=left|National Alliance

|6,060

|6.9

align=left colspan=3|Total

|87,428

|100.0

class=wikitable style=text-align:right
colspan=5\|2001 general election (C): Varese
colspan=2\|Candidate !Coalition !Votes !%
bgcolor="{{party color\|Centre-right coalition}}"\| \|align=left\|Roberto Maroni \|align=left\|House of Freedoms \|45,905 \|57.8
bgcolor="{{party color\|Centre-left coalition}}"\| \|align=left\|Lorenzo Carabelli \|align=left\|The Olive Tree \|28,853 \|36.3
bgcolor="{{party color\|Italy of Values}}"\| \|align=left\|Remigio Benelli \|align=left\|Italy of Values \|4,721 \|5.9
align=left colspan=3\|Total \|79,479 \|100.0

class=wikitable style=text-align:right

colspan=5|2001 general election (C): Varese

colspan=2|Candidate

!Coalition

!Votes

bgcolor="{{party color|Centre-right coalition}}"|

|align=left|Roberto Maroni

|align=left|House of Freedoms

|45,905

|57.8

bgcolor="{{party color|Centre-left coalition}}"|

|align=left|Lorenzo Carabelli