Crescenzia Bellante (1977-) was an Italian politician who served as Prime Minister of Italy from 21 April 2008 to 11 May 2009, preceding Venustiano Tiso.
Biography[]
Crescenzia Bellante was born in Aprilia, Latium, Italy in 1977, and she became a supporter of Silvio Berlusconi's liberal-conservative Forza Italia party during her teenage years. Bellante came to have a successful career as a television actress, making forays into pop music, and, in 2006, she supported Forza Italia's general election campaign by performing at their conference and giving a speech on economic opportunity and cultural pride which impressed the party's leading figures. As a result of both her celebrity status and political potential, Bellante was named Forza Italia's candidate for the premiership ahead of the 2008 general election, despite being only 31 years old. On 7 April 2008, Bellante was the first of 15 candidates from The People of Freedom to be elected to the Chamber of Deputies after the PdL won 27.75% of the vote, placing in second, behind the social democratic Democratic Party. While the PdL failed to win a majority of seats, Bellante was able to form a government with the support of the Movement for the Autonomies party, Lega Nord, and the Union of the Center, winning the support of 27 deputies to the Democratic Party leader Teodoro Cordi's 23 votes.
Premiership[]
Composition of the Chamber of Deputies after the April 2008 general election
Bellante inherited an economy with a budget of €172 million (with a weekly increase of €7 million), and one of her top priorities as Prime Minister was to continue and expand Italy's economic growth. On 28 April 2008, the Chamber voted 49-3 to establish an anti-Mafia commission, with only PdL deputy Oliviera Giorgianni and Democratic deputies Osmondo Sala and Ermete Castaldi being the only three deputies to vote against the measure. A week later, the Chamber voted 44-5 in favor of a public smoking ban, with Italy of Values being the only party to oppose the measure. The Chamber went on to vote 49-0 in favor of public housing, 49-1 in favor of public education, 29-18 in favor of a school bus tax (opposed by the left), 44-4 in favor of a national football league, 31-10 in favor of press freedom, 47-1 in favor of the Olympic Games, 45-2 to approve a dog license program to balance the budget, 32-16 in favor of a driving license program (opposed by the Democrats due to an economic downturn), 29-15 in favor of sex education, 27-21 in favor of capital punishment (opposed by the Democrats and half of Italy of Values), and 36-17 to introduce direct elections for Prime Ministers (opposed by the Democrats). In early 2009, the Democrats raised the most money of any party, followed by the People of Freedom; in distant third, the Union of the Center overtook Lega Nord's fundraising, leading to pollsters predicting that the Christian democratic center would steal votes from Italy of Values and Lega Nord alike. A 9 March 2009 poll showed the Democratic Party in the lead with 32.3% of the vote, The People of Freedom in second with 26.3%, the Union of the Center in third with 14%, Lega Nord in fourth with 12.2%, Italy of Values in fifth with 10.5%, and the Movement for the Autonomies in sixth and last with 4.6%. On 23 March 2009, the Chamber voted 34-9 in favor of PdL deputy Emiliana Morone's proposed legalization of prostitution, with 9 abstentions (mostly from Italy of Values and the Union of the Center).
The composition of the Chamber after the 2009 election
On 27 April 2009, new elections were held, and the Democratic Party won 34.8% of the vote and 19/54 seats in the Chamber (winning two seats), the PdL won 24.8% and 13 seats (losing two seats), the UdC won 13.46% and 7 seats (winning a seat), Lega won 11.63% and 6 seats (losing a seat), Italy of Values won 9.92% and 6 seats (losing a seat), and the MpA won 5.6% and 3 seats (winning a seat). A week later, the Union of the Center staged protests against Bellante's government, and these protests may have contributed to Democratic Party leader Teodoro Cordi's narrow 24.3%-22.3% victory over Bellante in the presidential election held on 11 May 2009. Cordi was thus elected to a strengthened presidency as head of government, while the leader of the PD in the Chamber, Venustiano Tiso, assumed the virtually powerless position of Prime Minister.