Virginio Rognoni (5 August 1924 – 20 September 2022) was an Italian politician, who was a prominent member of Christian Democracy. He was several times Interior Minister, Minister of Defense and Minister of Justice. From 2002 to 2006 he was vice-president of the High Council of the Judiciary.

Virginio Rognoni
Vice president of CSM
In office
2 August 2002 – 1 August 2006
Preceded byGiovanni Verde
Succeeded byNicola Mancino
Minister of Defence
In office
27 July 1990 – 28 June 1992
Prime MinisterGiulio Andreotti
Preceded byMino Martinazzoli
Succeeded bySalvo Andò
Minister of Justice
In office
1 August 1986 – 28 July 1987
Prime MinisterBettino Craxi
Amintore Fanfani
Preceded byMino Martinazzoli
Succeeded byGiuliano Vassalli
Minister of the Interior
In office
13 June 1978 – 4 August 1983
Prime MinisterGiulio Andreotti
Francesco Cossiga
Arnaldo Forlani
Giovanni Spadolini
Amintore Fanfani
Preceded byFrancesco Cossiga
Succeeded byOscar Luigi Scalfaro
Member of the Chamber of Deputies
In office
5 June 1968 – 14 April 1994
ConstituencyMilan-Pavia
Personal details
Born(1924-08-05)5 August 1924
Corsico, Lombardy, Italy
Died20 September 2022(2022-09-20) (aged 98)
Pavia, Lombardy, Italy
Political partyDC (1960–1994)
PPI (1994–2002)
The Daisy (2002–2007)
PD (2007–2022)
Alma materUniversity of Pavia
Yale University
ProfessionLawyer

Biography

edit

As a student at the historic Collegio Ghislieri, in November 1947 he obtained a degree in law from the University of Pavia. He studied at Yale University between 1949 and 1950 and also worked as a lawyer.

Rognoni began his political career in local government, serving as a city councillor in Pavia from 1960 to 1964, and from 1964 to 1967 as deputy mayor and as councillor for town planning. He then entered national politics, and was elected member of the Chamber of Deputies for seven consecutive terms (1968–1994).

Rognoni was Minister of the Interior from 1978 to 1983, of Justice (1986–1987) and Minister of Defence (1990–1992): he faced the terrorism and he solved the kidnapping of James Lee Dozier by the hand of Brgate Rosse. He was criticized by the Italian Communist Party while Minister of the Interior for failing to protect General Carlo Alberto Dalla Chiesa, who was killed on the same day in which he asked Rognoni to meet him.

From 2002 until he retired in 2006 he was vice-president of the High Council of the Judiciary (Consiglio Superiore della Magistratura).

Rognoni died in Pavia on 20 September 2022, at the age of 98.[1]

References

edit
  1. ^ "Morto Virginio Rognoni: lo storico ministro della Democrazia Cristiana aveva 98 anni". La Repubblica. 20 September 2022. Retrieved 20 September 2022.
edit