Erico D'Antonio
His Excellency The Right Honourable Erico D'Antonio | |
|---|---|
 D'Antonio, 2013 | |
| 10th President of Imagua and the Assimas | |
| In office 23 April, 2004 – 23 April, 2008 | |
| Prime Minister | Agnes Ingram |
| Preceded by | Ornell Elliott |
| Succeeded by | Agnes Ingram |
| 8th President of Imagua and the Assimas | |
| In office 23 April, 1992 – 23 April, 1996 | |
| Prime Minister | Isaac Egnell Austin Houghton |
| Preceded by | Marguerite Ernman |
| Succeeded by | Ornell Elliott |
| 17th Prime Minister of Imagua and the Assimas | |
| In office 22 May, 2001 – 23 April, 2004 | |
| President | Ornell Elliott |
| Deputy | Agnes Ingram |
| Preceded by | Viviana Andreoli |
| Succeeded by | Agnes Ingram |
| Member of Parliament for Bencivenga-Lazzari | |
| In office 27 May, 2001 – 22 April, 2004 | |
| Preceded by | Viviana Andreoli |
| Succeeded by | Nunziata Taddonio |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Erico D'Antonio 31 August 1938 Bencivenga, Nuovo Aeolia, Etruria |
| Nationality | Etrurian (1938-1946) Imaguan (since 1946) |
| Political party | Nationals (since 1981) |
| Other political affiliations | Party of Democrats (1961-1981) |
| Spouse | Laura D'Antonio |
| Children | 1 |
| Alma mater | Università di San Pietro |
Erico D'Antonio (b. 31 August, 1938) is a former Imaguan politician, who served as the eighth and tenth Presidents, serving from 1992 to 1996, and from 2004 to 2008 in this role, making him the first Imaguan President to serve two non-consecutive terms. As well, D'Antonio was the seventeenth Prime Minister, serving from 2001 to his resignation in 2004 to run for the presidency.
Starting as a member of the Imaguan Party of Democrats, he unsuccessfully ran in five consecutive general elections between 1964 and 1980, each time failing to displace incumbent member of Parliament Viviana Andreoli. Following the departure of Rupert Cox from the party's leadership, and the "disastrous" leadership contest between Deborah Hughes and Riley Gilmore, D'Antonio joined the Conservative Party.
In 1992, he was elected for his first term as President with 37.2% of the vote, but as his Prime Minister, Isaac Egnell was in a minority government, it meant that in 1995, the first snap parliamentary election since Imagua became fully independent was held, where Austin Houghton of the National Reform Party became Prime Minister. A year later, D'Antonio suspended his campaign in order to avoid Rudy Wilkinson winning the presidency, meaning Ornell Elliott of the Democratic Labour Party was able to take the Presidency.
In 2000, he ran against Elliott in that year's Presidential elections, but was defeated by Elliott. However, one year later, he became Prime Minister, following the retirement of Viviana Andreoli. During his tenure as Prime Minister, he reduced regulations, and increased legal immigration to Imagua, while cracking down on illegal immigration.
Three years later, he again ran for President against Democratic Labour nominee Gioventino Buonaiuto, where he won with 60.4% of the vote. After completing his second term, he was succeeded by Prime Minister Agnes Ingram in the presidency in 2008, and retired from politics.
Early life
Erico D'Antonio was born in the village of Bencivenga in the Etrurian territory of Nuovo Aeolia, to Timoteo D'Antonio, a banker, and to Marianna D'Antonio, as the second of three children, and the youngest son.
He started school in 1943, when he began attending the Dodato Tancredi School in Bencivenga. However, his childhood was marked by the Solarian War, which greatly affected the Assimas Islands as it was under Etrurian control, while Imagua was allied with Estmere.
After the end of the Solarian War, and the reorganization of the Assiman education system, D'Antonio passed the eleven-plus in 1949, and went to the Bencivenga Grammar School. In 1953, he passed the O-levels, allowing him to take Sixth Form, where two years later, in 1956, he passed the A-levels.
Thus, he went to study at the Università di San Pietro, where he majored in theology, as he intended to join the clergy. However, while he did obtain a bachelor's degree in theology in 1959, and a master's degree in 1961, after hearing a speech from Enoch Saunders, the then-leader of the Imaguan Party of Democrats, he felt that "he found his purpose in life."
Early political career
Membership in the Imaguan Party of Democrats
Thus, Erico D'Antonio joined the Imaguan Party of Democrats that year. As one of the few Etrurian-speaking members of the Imaguan Party of Democrats, he was taken under the wing of Rodolfo Osso, who sought to make him a proper "democrat." Over the next three years, Osso taught D'Antonio "the ins and outs of politics, as it were," and by 1964, was judged to be ready to run in his first election, to represent Bencivenga in the Lesser House of Parliament.
That year, he ran against incumbent Democratic Labour MP Viviana Andreoli, and Conservative challenger Eberardo De Matteo. Despite his local appeal, many of his potential voters did not want the Conservatives to win, which helped allow Andreoli to win her seat, with 56.7% to De Matteo's 24.1%, and D'Antonio's 18.8% of the vote.
Despite his loss, Erico D'Antonio became a key figure within the party, especially as Osso became party leader. During this period, Erico D'Antonio, despite his youth, was touted as a potential successor to Rodolfo Osso, as D'Antonio possessed an "uncanny appeal to voters in his hometown of Bencivenga."
However, while D'Antonio's results improved in 1968, with him winning 26.2% compared to Conservative Giove Tiberio's 21.2% of the vote, he still failed to displace Viviana Andreoli. However, with Rupert Cox taking over as party leader from Osso, D'Antonio was tapped to be a candidate for the premiership in the next general election.
In the 1972 general election, Erico D'Antonio only gained 31.2% of the vote, with Andreoli winning with 57.3% of the vote, and Conservative candidate Ermete Cerruti taking only 9.8% of the vote. The Imaguan Party of Democrats failed to gain any seats in that year's elections, but in 1973, Clelia Pavon joined the Party of Democrats. She quickly displaced D'Antonio in stature, as Pavon was a sitting MP, while D'Antonio wasn't a sitting MP.
Despite this, he ran again in 1976, and in 1980, with D'Antonio placing second to Viviana Andreoli with 31.3% in 1976, and 32.9% in 1980. While during this period, the Party of Democrats achieved their greatest representation in Parliament, with a peak of two seats in the Lesser House following Ted Branson's election in a 1978 by-election, by 1980, the Party of Democrats were wiped off the political map.
After the resignation of Rupert Cox, the 1981 leadership convention between Deborah Hughes and Riley Gilmore "was so contentious and heated that it took everything else of the party," and that "associations were fighting with associations." In light of this, while D'Antonio was invited to join the newly-established Libertarian Party by Branson, he instead chose to leave the Imaguan Party of Democrats, and instead join the Conservatives.
Early Conservative career
When Erico D'Antonio joined the Conservative Party in August 1981, his old constituency association "migrated en masse," effectively merging with the Conservative constituency association.
On one hand, the Conservatives were delighted that D'Antonio had joined the Conservatives, as his popularity had split the right-wing vote in the constituency of Bencivenga between the Imaguan Party of Democrats and the Conservatives, while him bringing "the entirety of the local IPD association" was seen as a boon to the party itself. However, his defection from the Imaguan Party of Democrats led to concerns that he might do the same in the future to the Conservatives.
This meant that Erico D'Antonio was, despite his successes, sidelined, and was not nominated in 1984, instead choosing Averardo Maffucci. However, Maffucci polled better than any Conservative candidate, with the 1984 election results having incumbent Democratic Labour MP Viviana Andreoli win with only 53.1% of the vote, with Maffucci taking 41.4% of the vote.
During the next four years, Erico D'Antonio sought to improve his reputation in the Conservative Party, with the intention of running against Andreoli again in 1988. To this end, he firmly aligned himself with the moderate faction of the Conservatives, led by Conservative leader Marino Guccio.
By 1987, he was nominated to run against Viviana Andreoli. Thus, at the 1988 general election campaign, Erico D'Antonio came close to unseating Andreoli, garnering 47.7% compared to Andreoli's 48.6%, despite the popularity of Edmondo Privitera and his government in his constituency.
This defeat meant that D'Antonio was forced to resign from the position of chairman of constituency association, although he remained in the party. At the same time, Erico D'Antonio gained more attraction at the national level, as with the maximum term limit approaching, the next Imaguan President would have to be of Etrurian origin.
While Marino Guccio was seen as wanting to run for the presidential nomination, former President Isaac Egnell made a deal, where if D'Antonio agreed to support Egnell's premiership aspirations, Egnell would support D'Antonio's bid.
Thus, at the 1991 leadership convention, Isaac Egnell was nominated to run for the premiership, while Erico D'Antonio was to run for the presidency.
His opponent, Prime Minister Edmondo Privitera was nominated by the DLP for the presidency, while Privitera's deputy prime minister, Gerald Larsson was nominated to run for the premiership in the 1992. While they were initially neck-to-neck in polls, by mid-February the National Reform Party gained ground.
By 27 March, 1992, Erico D'Antonio won the popular vote 37.2%, compared to Privitera's 35.2%, making him the President.
Political zenith
First term as President
On 23 April, 1992, Erico D'Antonio was inaugurated as the eighth President of Imagua and the Assimas, succeeding Marguerite Ernman. That day, he named his cabinet, led by Prime Minister Isaac Egnell.
As head of state of Imagua and the Assimas, Erico D'Antonio's role was primarily ceremonial. Thus, he spent much of his tenure as president travelling across the world to represent Imagua at international events and organisations. However, as President, he also served as an active leader, helping shape government policy, such as reducing regulations implemented by his predecessors, while overseeing the decriminalisation of homosexual relations in 1993.
This changed when Isaac Egnell's 1995 budget was defeated. As it was seen as a vote of no confidence, Isaac Egnell was forced to request that D'Antonio call a general election.
The 1995 parliamentary election would see the National Reform Party become the largest party in the Lesser House of Parliament, meaning that Austin Houghton would become Prime Minister. However, as the National Reform Party was a minority government, like Isaac Egnell's Conservative government, and the unwillingness of Conservatives to form a coalition with either the Democratic Labour Party or the National Reform Party, this meant D'Antonio would still preside over another hung parliament.
In 1996, Erico D'Antonio was named Conservative nominee for the Presidency, and when the writ was dropped on 25 January, 1996, he was running for a second term against Democratic Labour candidate Ornell Elliott, and National Reform candidate Rudy Wilkinson. At this point in time, he organised his own campaign, with the intention of obtaining a second term.
However, as polls shown that both many would not turn out to vote, and that of the 30% who would, most would vote for Wilkinson, Erico D'Antonio felt that his continued campaign would "hand Rudy a victory he does not deserve."
Thus, shortly after the presidential debates organized by the ITS, D'Antonio announced to "suspend his campaign," saying that he'd rather "live under an equalist regime than a racialist regime." Thus, he spent much of the rest of March campaigning alongside Ornell Elliott to ensure that he got elected.
Thus, on 25 March, 1996, Ornell Elliott won the presidency with 68% of the vote, while Rudy Wilkinson finished second, at 26% of the vote. D'Antonio finished with only six percent of the vote. The turnout had risen to around 86% of the electorate, which made it the election with the highest turnout in national history. This meant that Erico D'Antonio had the worst election result of any President seeking re-election.
On 23 April, 1996, he handed power over to Ornell Elliott.
Plotting a return to the Lesser House
Following the inauguration of Ornell Elliott, there were proposals among both the Conservative and Democratic Labour Party to appoint Erico D'Antonio to the Imaguan Senate, as it was perceived to be unlikely that D'Antonio would be elected to the constituency of Bencivenga-Lazzari, due to the high popularity of Viviana Andreoli, and the fact that the Democratic Labour Party intended to nominate her for the premiership.
However, Erico D'Antonio declined the appointment to the Senate, saying that taking such a role would "preclude me from becoming Prime Minister," and believing that the Senate was a "political dead-end." Instead, Erico D'Antonio intended to compete with Andreoli in the next general election.
Despite his plans, they were foiled when both parties agreed to not run candidates against each other in marginal seats, and agreed to not have a Conservative candidate in Bencivenga-Lazzari, so to guarantee Andreoli's election. While D'Antonio was disappointed by these developments, he chose to campaign alongside Viviana Andreoli, repeating his statements that he would rather "live under an equalist regime than a racialist regime."
After winning the seat of Bencivenga-Lazzari with 84.5% of the vote, Erico D'Antonio was again nominated to be appointed to the Imaguan Senate, but D'Antonio declined, saying that "I will do whatever it takes to finish my Presidency."
In 1999, he was nominated to run for the presidency by the Conservative Party.
2000 presidential election and 2001 parliamentary elections
When the writ was dropped on 28 January, 2000, Erico D'Antonio ran against incumbent Democratic Labour President Ornell Elliott, and National Reform Austin Houghton.
With the National Reform Party being seen as a dead force, the race was between Conservative nominee Erico D'Antonio and incumbent President Ornell Elliott. Thus, during the 2000 election, while Elliott promised to continue the policies of the DLP "into the new millennium," D'Antonio sought to "improve Imagua for the betterment of all Imaguan people."
At the presidential debates held by ITS, Elliott performed better in the Estmerish debates, while D'Antonio performed well in the Etrurian debates, which helped them poll relatively evenly, even as the campaign went into its final weeks.
On 24 March, 2000, Elliott won with 49% of the vote, with D'Antonio finishing second, getting around 45% of the vote. Turnout was low, at only 42%.
Despite his defeat, with Viviana Andreoli announcing her retirement from politics, and the President still being an Estmerophone, both major parties would nominate candidates of Etrurian origin. At the same time, D'Antonio campaigned to take over Bencivenga-Lazzari.
Thus, on 23 March, 2001, the parliamentary election campaign began, with D'Antonio facing off against former Prime Minister Edmondo Privitera. During this election campaign, D'Antonio campaigned on "cleaning up the country" from the past six years, and to "improve Imagua and her economy." Locally, he faced DLP candidate Vezio Amante.
D'Antonio performed well against Edmondo Privitera in the ITS debates, and was predicted to the be winner. Thus, on 23 April, 2001, the Nationals formed majority government, with 37 seats, while the DLP fell to 33 seats. Locally, he won with 52.7% of the vote, defeating Vezio Amante, and therefore being able to take a seat in the Lesser House for the first time.
Premiership
On 21 May, 2001, Erico D'Antonio was sworn in as the seventeenth Prime Minister of Imagua and the Assimas, succeeding Viviana Andreoli. His cabinet was revealed that day, with Agnes Ingram named Deputy Prime Minister, and he was the first Prime Minister to come from the Nationals (as opposed to the Conservatives).
In his first year in office, Erico D'Antonio announced lower taxes, and a plan to make government services "operate in an efficient manner." He also sought to increase immigration to Imagua and the Assimas, with D'Antonio saying in January 2002 that "Imagua must, first and foremost, allow immigrants to help increase our supply of labour, and compete with other countries in not just the Arucian, but the world."
In his second year in office, Erico D'Antonio began instituting strict policies for illegal immigrants arriving by sea, by requiring that all intercepted at sea, including outlying islets, by the Imaguan Coast Guard "be immediately repatriated without delay" to their home countries. Yet, he increased the number of permanent and temporary residency permits, and continued the programmes instituted in the previous year.
By 2003, Erico D'Antonio became a popular Prime Minister, with 60% approving of his performance, 35% disapproving, and the remainder undecided. That year, while he continued his government's policies, speculation arose that D'Antonio would be considering a run for the Imaguan presidency, especially as incumbent President Ornell Elliott was reaching his maximum term limit under the Imaguan constitution.
These speculations were confirmed when at the 2003 National leadership convention, he threw his hat into the ring to run for the presidential nomination, and was acclaimed by the delegates. This meant that a successor had to be chosen, with Ingram being endorsed by the delegates to be the premiership.
Thus, in January 2004, Elliott granted D'Antonio's request for a general election. This meant that Erico D'Antonio faced Democratic Labour nominee Gioventino Buonaiuto. In his campaign, D'Antonio promised to "consolidate National control" to ensure that "all Imaguans will live prosperous lives." He also attacked Buonaiuto for his "continued obedience to outmoded policies" which harmed Imagua.
D'Antonio performed well at the debates organised by the ITS, which allowed him to win with 60.4% of the vote, compared to Buonaiuto's 35.5% of the vote. This allowed D'Antonio to return to the presidency for the first time in eight years.
Second term as President
On 23 April, 2004, Erico D'Antonio was sworn in as the tenth President of Imagua and the Assimas, succeeding Ornell Elliott, and becoming the first President to serve two non-consecutive terms. His cabinet was named that day, with Agnes Ingram named as Prime Minister.
Like his first term, Erico D'Antonio spent much of his time travelling across the world to represent Imagua and the Assimas on international affairs, but unlike his first term was not as active in shaping policy, preferring to delegate the actual policy-making to Ingram.
During his second term, Erico D'Antonio oversaw the adoption of policies to increase disability rights, increase legal immigration to the country, and further diversification of the economy.
In 2007, as he was nearing his maximum term limit under the Imaguan constitution, he was succeeded by Agnes Ingram as the National nominee for the presidency, while her deputy, Saverio Merante was nominated for the premiership.
Thus, in January 2008, Erico D'Antonio dropped the writ. While he endorsed Agnes Ingram and Saverio Merante, he did little campaigning, saying that he will "retire from politics" after the election.
On 28 March, 2008, Ingram defeated Democratic Labour nominee Winnie Read 51.2% to 47.6%. Thus, he spent the next month preparing for Ingram to become President.
Retirement
After Erico D'Antonio left office on 23 April, 2008, he returned to his hometown of Bencivenga. Since his retirement, he has led a quiet life, with his memoirs, From Rose to Blue being published in 2013, and met with rave reviews from the public.
In April 2015, Erico D'Antonio was hospitalized following a car accident as he and his wife were driving from Bencivenga to San Pietro: his wife, Laura D'Antonio was severely injured and died in hospital in San Pietro a few days later. The driver of the other car involved, Riccardo Trovato, was arrested for driving while impaired after evidence surfaced that Trovato was driving above the legal limit of 0.05.
In 2018, he moved to San Pietro, so to be closer to his children, who were all living there.
Personal life
Erico D'Antonio first met Laura Pietrantonio at school in Bencivenga, and were "close friends" as children. After D'Antonio abandoned the clergy, he started dating Laura Pietrantonio, and married her in 1964. According to Erico, the marriage was "loving and fruitful," with Laura describing it as a good thing "marrying your best friend." However, Laura D'Antonio was killed in a car accident in April 2015 at the age of 76.
Together, they had a son, Nicola D'Antonio, who was born in 1967, and two daughters: Cleo Fornaro, born in 1969, and Anna Vollaro, born in 1971.
D'Antonio's native language is Etrurian, but he is fluent in Imaguan Creole, and in Estmerish, and can carry a basic conversation in Gaullican, Ruttish, and Geadish.
Political views
Erico D'Antonio considers himself to a neoliberal conservative, saying that "while I do believe that we should preserve the ways of old, I do think that economically, we need to preserve the right for all to carry themselves up with their own bootstraps." Thus, economically, D'Antonio supports looser regulations and freer markets.
Socially, Erico D'Antonio is an opponent towards the legalisation of same-sex marriage, but said in 2018 that civil unions are "an acceptable compromise to the stability of the traditional family, and the right for homosexuals to live together with their partners." He is a supporter of the status quo of abortions, and is a supporter of increased immigration to the islands.
Religion
Erico D'Antonio was baptized as a Solarian Catholic, and intended to join the clergy before joining the Imaguan Party of Democrats.
Today, he is a devout person, who regularly attends Mass, and has said that he has a "deep appreciation for the spiritual role of the Church" across the world.
Honours
Domestic
- File:ImaguaFlag.png Companion of the Order of Imagua, 2009
