Claudio Scajola

Claudio Scajola
Mayor of Imperia
Assumed office
27 June 2018
Preceded by Carlo Capacci
In office
7 May 1990 – 23 April 1995
Preceded by Giovanni Gramondo
Succeeded by Davide Berio
In office
29 October 1983 – 13 December 1983
Preceded by Renato Pilade
Succeeded by Giovanni Barbagallo
Minister of Economic Development
In office
8 May 2008 – 4 May 2010
Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi
Preceded by Pier Luigi Bersani
Succeeded by Paolo Romani
In office
23 April 2005 – 17 May 2006
Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi
Preceded by Antonio Marzano
Succeeded by Pier Luigi Bersani
Minister of the Interior
In office
11 June 2001 – 3 July 2002
Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi
Preceded by Enzo Bianco
Succeeded by Giuseppe Pisanu
Member of the Chamber of Deputies
In office
9 May 1996 – 14 March 2013
Personal details
Born (1948-01-15) 15 January 1948
Imperia, Italy
Nationality Italian
Political party DC (1970s–1994)
Forza Italia (1994–2009)
PdL (2009–2013)
Forza Italia (2013–2018)
Alma mater University of Genoa

Claudio Scajola (Italian pronunciation: [ˈklaudjo skaˈjɔːla]; born 15 January 1948 in Imperia) is an Italian politician, current Mayor of Imperia.

Career

A long-time Christian Democrat, he was Mayor of Imperia during a short period in the 1980s and from 1990 to 1995, as his father and his brother had been. When Christian Democracy disbanded, he joined Forza Italia in 1995. He was then elected deputy in 1996 and was national coordinator of the party from 1996 to 2001 (and again in 2003). He also led a faction named after him, the Scajoliani.

He was minister of interior from 2001 to 2002 and later minister of productive activities in the third cabinet of Silvio Berlusconi.[1] In this capacity, Scajola was a strong advocate for the Italian re-entry into commercial use of nuclear power for the generation of electricity.

He has been nicknamed SkyOla because allegedly has been using Alitalia airplanes for private use. An unnecessary air route has been created from Leonardo da Vinci-Fiumicino Airport to Villanova d'Albenga International Airport which he uses regularly for traveling from and to his parliamentary job, rarely it is used by other passengers.[2] This scandal was exposed in 2008 by the RAI television program AnnoZero.

In April 2010 Italian newspapers wrote that Scajola, in July 2004, used €1,100,000 in slush funds to buy a flat in Rome near the Colosseum. At least €900,000 of those funds where reportedly traced as coming from Diego Anemone, a real estate developer under accusation of public servants bribing.[3][4] During a press conference, the minister defended himself saying that maybe the house had been paid without his knowledge.[5] These justifications were not deemed sufficient by public opinion and, in May 2010, Scajola resigned from office.

At the 2018 comunal elections, Scajola is re-elected Mayor of Imperia, 23 years after his last mayoral experience.

Arrest

On 8 May 2014, Scajola was arrested for aiding the escape of Amedeo Matacena, an ex member of parliament accused of criminal involvement with the Calabrian 'Ndrangheta, and remains in police custody.[6]

Notable statements

In June 2002 Scajola is in Cyprus talking to journalists and say: "Marco Biagi was only a jerk, only thinking about the renewal of his contract". Marco Biagi was killed by terrorists in March 2002 and Scajola was home minister. Scajola had to resign because of this sentence on 4 July 2002. Despite this, Berlusconi continued to consider him as one of the good ones.

References

  1. ↑ "Italy: Berlusconi Iii Sworn In; Likely to Be Confirmed This Week". Wikileaks. 26 April 2005. Archived from the original on 23 May 2013. Retrieved 9 June 2013.
  2. ↑ Sergio Rizzo, Le doppie dimissioni del ministro di sangue dc, "Corriere della sera", 10 May 2010.
  3. ↑ "Scajola, le carte che accusano", La Repubblica, 30 April 2010
  4. ↑ "Scajola, le nuove accuse", Corriere della Sera, 30 April 2010
  5. ↑ "Cinque indimenticabili e famose gaffe dei politici italiani". Cinquecosebelle.it (in Italian). Retrieved 23 June 2018.
  6. ↑ "Scajola arrestato dalla Dia: "Ha favorito la latitanza dell'ex deputato Matacena"". La Repubblica. 8 May 2014. Retrieved 8 May 2014.
Italian Chamber of Deputies
Preceded by
Title jointly held		 Deputy
since 1996
Legislatures: XIII, XIV, XV, XVI		 Incumbent
Political offices
Preceded by
Enzo Bianco		 Minister of the Interior
2001–2002		 Succeeded by
Giuseppe Pisanu
Preceded by
Giuseppe Pisanu		 Minister for the Implementation of the Government Program
2003–2005		 Succeeded by
Stefano Caldoro
Preceded by
Antonio Marzano		 Minister of Productive Activities
2005–2006		 Succeeded by
Pier Luigi Bersani
as Minister of Economic Development
Preceded by
Enzo Bianco		 President of COPACO
2006–2008		 Succeeded by
Francesco Rutelli
Preceded by
Pier Luigi Bersani		 Minister of Economic Development
2008–2010		 Succeeded by
Silvio Berlusconi
acting
Party political offices
Preceded by
Cesare Previti		 National Coordinator of Forza Italia
1996–2001		 Succeeded by
Roberto Antonione
Preceded by
Roberto Antonione		 National Coordinator of Forza Italia
2003		 Succeeded by
Sandro Bondi
New title President of the President's Committee of Forza Italia
since 2004		 Incumbent
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