Carlo Calenda
Minister of Economic Development
In office
10 May 2016 – 1 June 2018
Prime MinisterMatteo Renzi
Paolo Gentiloni
Preceded byFederica Guidi
Succeeded byLuigi Di Maio
Secretary of Action
Assumed office
20 February 2022
Preceded byPosition established
Member of the Senate of the Republic
Assumed office
13 October 2022
ConstituencySicily
Member of the European Parliament
In office
2 July 2019 – 12 October 2022
ConstituencyNorth-East Italy
Permanent Representative of Italy to the European Union
In office
21 March 2016 – 10 May 2016
Prime MinisterMatteo Renzi
Preceded byStefano Sannino
Succeeded byMaurizio Massari
Personal details
Born (1973-04-09) 9 April 1973
Rome, Italy
Political partyPCI (1980s)
SC (2013–2015)
Independent (2015–2018)
PD (2018–2019)
Action (since 2019)
SpouseViolante Guidotti Bentivoglio
Children4
EducationSapienza University
Signature

Carlo Calenda (born 9 April 1973) is an Italian business executive and politician. On 2 May 2013, he was appointed Deputy Minister of Economic Development in the government of Enrico Letta,[1] and was later confirmed in that post in the cabinet of Letta's successor, Matteo Renzi.[2]

On 20 January 2016, Renzi appointed him Italy's Permanent Representative to the European Union, an office he took up on March 21 that year.[3] This appointment was criticised by both the opposition and Italian diplomats, because the office of Permanent Representative had always been held by a diplomat and not by a politician such as Calenda.[4][5]

Early life and business career

Calenda was born in Rome in 1973. He is the son of Fabio Calenda, a journalist, and Cristina Comencini, a film director and screenwriter, and the grandson of Luigi Comencini, a popular director of Italian comedy movies, and Giulia Grifeo di Partanna, descended from an ancient aristocratic family from Sicily.[6]

In 1984, at the age of eleven years, he played the lead role in the Italian television miniseries Cuore, directed by his grandfather, Luigi Comencini;[7] his voice was dubbed by Giorgio Borghetti.[8] During his adolescence, his aristocratic background did not prevent him from joining the Italian Communist Youth Federation (FGCI).[9]

After an extremely unsuccessful school career (he flunked the third year of his Liceo, and failed 2 and then 4 subjects in the first two years at the famous Liceo Mamiani in Rome[10]), he managed to get his B.A. without Laude in law at the La Sapienza University in Rome. Once graduated, thanks to his powerful family's ties, he worked in various finance companies until 1998, when he became a manager of Ferrari under the presidency of Luca Cordero di Montezemolo. In the early 2000s he became the marketing manager of Sky Italia. From 2004 to 2008 Calenda served as assistant to the then president of Confindustria, Luca Cordero di Montezemolo.[11]

Political career

At 14, despite his aristocratic and upper-class background, Calenda joined the youth of the Italian Communist Party (PCI).[12][13]

In 2009, Calenda was appointed political coordinator of Future Italy, a liberal centrist think tank founded by Montezemolo.[14]

In 2012, he joined Civic Choice, the liberal political party of incumbent Prime Minister Mario Monti. Calenda ran in the 2013 general election, but failed to win a seat in the Chamber of Deputies.[15]

Minister of Economic Development

On 10 May 2016, following the resignation of the incumbent minister Federica Guidi, Calenda was appointed Minister of Economic Development.[16] Calenda continued as minister in the government of Paolo Gentiloni, who succeeded Renzi when he resigned on 12 December 2016 as Prime Minister following the constitutional referendum.[17]

Calenda in February 2018

Before his nomination, Calenda was widely seen as a strong supporter of free market and globalization, and he often expressed his positive view about TTIP, a proposed trade agreement between the European Union and the United States, with the aim of promoting trade and multilateral economic growth.[18][19] However, his tenure as minister was characterized by his opposition to foreign multinational corporations and his defence of Italian workers. His policies became particularly evident in January 2018 when the Brazilian company Embraco, a subsidiary of the US multinational Whirlpool, announced an offshoring to shift its production from Turin to Slovakia.[20] After weeks of tensions and protests, the Italian government and Embraco reached a deal to postpone the relocation and suspend the layoffs, permitting to reach a better agreement for workers during the following year.[21][22]

On 6 March 2018, two days after the 2018 general election, which saw the defeat of Renzi's Democratic Party and a strong showing of populist forces like the Five Star Movement and the Lega, Calenda announced he would join the Democrats, stating that "we must not form a new party but work to uplift the one that already exists."[23] He also added that the PD must be reorganized as a real leftist force and must not support any cabinet led by populist parties.[24][25]

After his enter in the PD, Calenda became increasingly critical of the Third Way policies promoted by Bill Clinton in the United States, Tony Blair in the United Kingdom and more recently by Renzi in Italy, which according to him were little more than optimism and slogans and had mainly contributed to the defeats of the centre-left in the Western world.[26] He also expressed his pessimistic view about globalization and centre-left politics, which according to him, have failed in protecting workers from offshoring and unemployment.[27] According to him, the new left-wing must "defend the workplace and not the work itself, and must offer protection to workers."[28] Due to his statements, Calenda was labeled by many political commentators as a workerist.[29]

In April 2018, workers of the Italian section of Alcoa, an American industrial corporation, get a 5% of shares and a place on the board of the new company created by Swiss-based Sider Alloys' acquisition of the Sardinian aluminium mine. Calenda stated that "it will be the first case in which workers participate in the management of a company and they have fully deserved it".[30]

Member of the European Parliament, 2019–2022

Carlo Calenda in 2019

In January 2019, Calenda launched his political manifesto Siamo Europei ("We Are Europeans") with the aim of creating a joint list composed by PD and other progressive and Europeanist parties for the May's European election,[31] in which he was elected in the North-East constituency, receiving more than 270,000 votes.[32]

In parliament, Calenda served on the Committee on Industry, Research and Energy (ITRE) from 2019 to 2021. In addition to his committee assignments, he was a member of the parliament’s delegation for relations with Canada (2019–2021).[33] He was also a member of the European Parliament Intergroup on Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SMEs).[34]

In August 2019, tensions grew within the populist majority, due to Matteo Salvini's motion of no-confidence on Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte.[35] On 20 August, Conte resigned his post to President Mattarella and on the following day, the national direction of the PD officially opened to a cabinet with the Five Star Movement (M5S),[36] based on pro-Europeanism, green economy, sustainable development, fight against economic inequality and a new immigration policy.[37] On 28 August, PD's leader Nicola Zingaretti announced at the Quirinal Palace his favorable position on keeping Giuseppe Conte at the head of the new government,[38] and on same day, Mattarella summoned Conte to the Quirinal Palace for the 29 August to give him the task of forming a new cabinet.[39] Calenda strongly opposed the new government, stating the PD had renounced to represent the reformists,[40] so it became necessary to found a "liberal-progressive" movement.[41] Calenda exited from the PD and on 5 September 2019, while the new government was being sworn in, he officially announced the foundation of his new movement.[42] On 21 November 2019, the new party, which was named Action (Azione), was officially founded.[43]

On 18 October 2020, Calenda announced his intention to run as Mayor of Rome in the 2021 municipal election;[44] obtaining Matteo Renzi's endorsment; he eventually lost against Roberto Gualtieri.[45] In November 2021, Calenda left the S&D parliamentary group and instead joined the Renew Europe group.[46]

2022 general election

Calenda at the Quirinal Palace following the election

Following the resignation of Mario Draghi as Prime Minister of Italy and the call for a snap election,[47] Calenda's Action party signed on 2 August an alliance with Enrico Letta's PD, the head of the centre-left coalition.[48] On 6 August, the PD signed another pact with the eco-socialist Greens and Left Alliance (AVS), formed by Green Europe (EV) and Italian Left (SI), which never supported Draghi's government.[49] This caused tensions between Letta and Calenda. The latter, being a strong supporter of economic liberalism and nuclear power, considered impossible a coalition between his own party and the red–green alliance.[50] On 7 August, Calenda broke the alliance with the PD.[51] On 11 August, Matteo Renzi's Italia Viva (IV) and A signed an agreement to create a centrist alliance named Action – Italia Viva (A–IV) led by Calenda himself.[52]

Despite Draghi's dismissal, Calenda said they would push for Draghi to remain as prime minister, should A–IV win enough seats.[53] The list also ran a pro-nuclear power and pro-regasification campaign as solutions for the ongoing energy crisis.[54] In the general election on 25 September, the so-called Third Pole obtained 21 seats in the Chamber of Deputies and 9 seats in the Senate of the Republic, having polled about 8%.[55] On 3 October, Calenda announced that the two parties will form joint parliamentary group in the next parliament and start a federation between the two movements.[56][57][58]

Electoral history

Election House Constituency Party Votes Result
2019 European Parliament North-East Italy PD 279,783 checkY Elected
2022 Senate of the Republic Rome – Municipio XIV A–IV 77,211 ☒N Not elected
Lazio –[lower-alpha 1] check Elected
  1. ↑ Elected in a closed list proportional representation system.

Authored books

  • Orizzonti selvaggi. Milan: Feltrinelli. 2018. ISBN 978-88-58-83381-0.
  • I mostri. Come uscire dal labirinto che abbiamo costruito. Milan: Feltrinelli. 2020. ISBN 978-88-07-17380-6.
  • La libertà che non libera. La nave di Teseo. 2022. ISBN 978-88-34-61074-9.

References

  1. ↑ Consiglio dei Ministri
  2. ↑ Che tristezza quella felicità nella svendita dell’Italia
  3. ↑ Carlo Calenda è il nuovo rappresentante dell'Italia a Bruxelles. Gentiloni: "Scelta eccezionale"
  4. ↑ La protesta degli ambasciatori, a disagio per il caso Calenda. Le lettere al capo del governo
  5. ↑ Calenda a Bruxelles? Una misura eccezionale, come nel dopoguerra
  6. ↑ Chi è Carlo Calenda?
  7. ↑ Ricordate il piccolo protagonista di «Cuore»? Ecco il ministro Calenda quando aveva 10 anni
  8. ↑ "IL MONDO DEI DOPPIATORI - ZONA CINEMA - SCENEGGIATI e MINISERIE TV: "Cuore" (1984)".
  9. ↑ Chi è Carlo Calenda, il nuovo ministro dello Sviluppo Economico amico di Montezemolo
  10. ↑ Carlo Calenda bocciato al Mamiani
  11. ↑ "Biografia di Carlo Calenda". Archived from the original on 2016-01-26. Retrieved 2017-12-18.
  12. ↑ "Carlo Calenda, feluca e manager: "Così rilancio l'Italia in Europa"". 3 May 2016.
  13. ↑ "Calenda-Zelig, attore perfetto. Mina vagante sul Campidoglio". 17 October 2020.
  14. ↑ "Noi alternativi ai democratici, li batteremo
  15. ↑ Candidati di Scelta Civica alla Camera dei Deputati
  16. ↑ Sviluppo economico, Calenda nuovo ministro: domani la nomina
  17. ↑ "Gentiloni presenta governo, Padoan confermato all'Economia". Archived from the original on 2017-12-08. Retrieved 2017-12-19.
  18. ↑ Transatlantic Interests In Asia, Russel, Daniel R., United States Department of State, 13 January 2014
  19. ↑ Calenda: ci vorrà tempo per il Ttip ma per il nostro export è essenziale
  20. ↑ "Italy rails against company relocations in bitter election campaign". Reuters. Archived from the original on 2023-04-16.
  21. ↑ Embraco, Calenda: "Raggiunto accordo, licenziamenti sospesi"
  22. ↑ Embraco, Calenda: accordo su blocco licenziamenti fino a fine anno
  23. ↑ Carlo Calenda [@CarloCalenda] (March 6, 2018). "Non bisogna fare un altro partito ma lavorare per risollevare quello che c'è. Domani mi vado ad iscrivere al @pdnetwork" [We must not form another party but we must work to uplift the one that already exists. Tomorrow I am going to join the Democratic Party.] (Tweet) (in Italian). Retrieved 2018-03-06 – via Twitter.
  24. ↑ "Calenda mostra la tessera del Pd: "Nessuna alleanza con M5S"" [Calenda shows his membership card in the Democratic Party: “No alliance with the Five Star Movement”]. La Stampa (in Italian). 2018-03-10. Retrieved 2018-03-10.
  25. ↑ Calenda prende la tessera del Pd: «Abbiamo dato sensazione di essere élite»
  26. ↑ Calenda ha detto qualcosa di sinistra
  27. ↑ Calenda a ruota libera sul Pd: “Il problema non è Renzi, ma sono i 25 anni di errori”
  28. ↑ Il pessimismo di Prodi e il tentativo di Calenda. Racconto di una serata nel salotto Laterza
  29. ↑ Calenda: "Io operaista? È un grande complimento"
  30. ↑ Alcoa, Calenda: ai lavoratori il 5% e un posto nel Consiglio di sorveglianza
  31. ↑ Carlo Calenda lancia Manifesto "Siamo Europei". Aderiscono Martina e Gentiloni, diversi governatori e sindaci dem
  32. ↑ Europee, i candidati acchiappavoti. Calenda e Pisapia campioni di preferenze. Alla Lega 29 seggi, al Pd 19
  33. ↑ Nisa Khan (25 November 2021), Movers & Shakers The Parliament Magazine.
  34. ↑ Intergroup on Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SMEs) European Parliament.
  35. ↑ Italy’s Prime Minister, Giuseppe Conte, Resigns, Turning Chaos Into Uncertainty
  36. ↑ Italian PM resigns with attack on 'opportunist' Salvini
  37. ↑ Governo, Zingaretti: "I 5 punti per trattare con il M5S. No accordicchi, governo di svolta"
  38. ↑ "Conte wins crucial support for new Italian govt coalition". Washington Post. Archived from the original on 2019-08-28. Retrieved 2019-09-06.
  39. ↑ "C'è l'accordo tra M5s e Pd. Governo giallorosso ai nastri di partenza". Agi.
  40. ↑ "Nasce il partito di Calenda: "Sarà un movimento aperto a tutti"". 5 September 2019.
  41. ↑ Calenda lancia il suo “movimento liberal-progressista”: “Tesseramento al via da dicembre”
  42. ↑ Calenda anticipa Renzi e apre la scissione nel Pd: "Un nuovo movimento liberal-progressista"
  43. ↑ Matteo Richetti: "Azione non sarà un partito di centro, ma il vero polo progressista del Paese"
  44. ↑ Roma, Calenda: "Mi candido a sindaco", la Repubblica
  45. ↑ Angelo Amante and Gavin Jones (4 October 2021), Centre-left wins Italian mayoral elections, 5-Star loses Rome Reuters.
  46. ↑ Nisa Khan (18 November 2021), Movers & Shakers The Parliament Magazine.
  47. ↑ "Draghi si è dimesso, il presidente Mattarella ha sciolto le Camere: l'Italia al voto il 25 settembre". RAI. Archived from the original on 21 July 2022. Retrieved 21 July 2022.
  48. ↑ "Patto Letta-Calenda, 70% candidati Pd e 30% Azione/+Europa – Politica" (in Italian). ANSA. 2 August 2022. Retrieved 2 September 2022.
  49. ↑ "Pd-Verdi-SI, accordo per le elezioni. La conferenza congiunta" (in Italian). RAI. 6 August 2022. Retrieved 2 September 2022.
  50. ↑ "Verdi dicono sì al Pd, ma resta tensione con Calenda – Politica" (in Italian). ANSA. 5 August 2022. Retrieved 2 September 2022.
  51. ↑ "Calenda strappa col Pd, Letta: 'Noi andiamo avanti' – Politica" (in Italian). Agenzia ANSA. 7 August 2022. Retrieved 2 September 2022.
  52. ↑ "Elezioni politiche 2022, Calenda-Renzi accordo fatto. Sarà il leader di Azione a guidare il Terzo Polo". la Repubblica. 11 August 2022. Retrieved 26 September 2022.
  53. ↑ "Il No di Draghi al secondo mandato stronca le speranze di Renzi e Calenda (che ancora oggi insistevano sul bis del premier)". Il Fatto Quotidiano (in Italian). 16 September 2022. Retrieved 24 September 2022.
  54. ↑ "Energia nucleare e rigassificatori, programmi elettorali a confronto: cosa pensano partiti". Sky TG24 (in Italian). 22 September 2022. Retrieved 25 September 2022.
  55. ↑ Kirby, Paul (26 September 2022). "Giorgia Meloni: Italy's far right wins election and vows to govern for all". BBC. Retrieved 26 September 2022.
  56. ↑ Carlo Calenda [@CarloCalenda] (October 3, 2022). "Lungo incontro con @matteorenzi. Siamo d'accordo sul percorso comune. Avanti con federazione e gruppi unici in Parlamento e nelle amministrazioni locali. Prenderemo insieme le decisioni politiche a partire dalle Regionali. Porte aperte ai riformisti e ai liberali. #ItaliaSulSerio" (Tweet). Retrieved 4 October 2022 – via Twitter.
  57. ↑ Pacifici, Stefano (3 October 2022). "Renzi e Calenda preparano la federazione per novembre". MetroNews (in Italian). Retrieved 4 October 2022.
  58. ↑ "Terzo Polo: incontro Calenda-Renzi, 'federazione a novembre'". Adnkronos (in Italian). 3 October 2022. Retrieved 4 October 2022 – via Yahoo!.
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