Valeria Fedeli

Valeria Fedeli (born 29 July 1949) is an Italian politician, former Minister of Education, Universities and Research in the Gentiloni Cabinet.

Valeria Fedeli
Minister of Education, Universities and Research
In office 12 December 2016 – 1 June 2018
Prime Minister	Paolo Gentiloni
Preceded by	Stefania Giannini
Succeeded by	Marco Bussetti
Member of the Senate
Incumbent
Assumed office 15 March 2013
Personal details
Born	29 July 1949 Treviglio, Italy
Nationality	Italian
Political party	Democratic Party
Spouse(s)	Achille Passoni
Occupation	Politician, syndicalist

Biography

Fedeli began her career in the 1970s as a kindergarten teacher in Milan,[1] and then went to Rome in order to work at the national secretariat of the Italian General Confederation of Labour. In 1994 she joined the National Directorate of syndicate.

In 2013, during the Silvio Berlusconi's Rubygate Scandal, Fedeli was among the founders of the feminist committee Se non ora, quando? (If not now, when?) to denounce the "degrading model flaunted by one of the highest offices of the State, damaging the dignity of women and institutions".[2][3]

She is married to former Democratic Party senator Achille Passoni.[4]

Political career

In 2012, she left the syndicate in order to candidate for the Senate with the Democratic Party at the 2013 elections. Once elected, she became Vice-president of the Senate and, while the President of the Senate Pietro Grasso held the function of acting President of Italy, she presided over the work of the Senate as vicar Vice-president: in this role, she helped the President of the Chamber of Deputies Laura Boldrini in conducting the work of Parliament in joint session for the election of the President of the Italian Republic, which leads to the presidency Sergio Mattarella.

On 12 December 2016, after the resignation of the Renzi Cabinet, Paolo Gentiloni became the new Prime Minister, and Fedeli became Minister of Education, Universities and Research.[5]

She was re-elected as Senator at the 2018 elections and was the Democratic Party candidate for the role of President of the Senate: eventually the elected president was Maria Elisabetta Alberti Casellati from Forza Italia.[6]

References

1. "Il ministro dell'Istruzione Valeria Fedeli non ha il diploma di maturità (ma ha quello magistrale triennale). Nuova bufera sui social". Huffington Post. 30 March 2017. Retrieved 11 September 2018.
2. "Il comitato promotore". senonoraquando.eu. 26 September 2011. Archived from the original on 20 December 2016. Retrieved 11 September 2018.
3. "Cosa resta di Se non ora quando e perché le femministe si sono divise". L'Espresso. 9 December 2015. Retrieved 11 September 2018.
4. ""Candidate le mogli di...". Bufera sul web". Corriere della Sera. 10 January 2013. Retrieved 11 September 2018.
5. "Tutte le foto di Valeria Fedeli, nuovo ministro dell'Istruzione e della Ricerca". formiche.net. 13 December 2016. Retrieved 11 September 2018.
6. "I nuovi presidenti di Camera e Senato". Il Post. 24 March 2018. Retrieved 11 September 2018.

External links

• Files about her parliamentary activities (in Italian): XVII, XVIII legislature