Edmondo Privitera
His Excellency The Right Honourable Edmondo Privitera | |
|---|---|
 Edmondo Privitera, 2019 | |
| 12th President of Imagua and the Assimas | |
| Assumed office 23 April, 2016 | |
| Prime Minister | Douglas Egnell |
| Preceded by | Agnes Ingram |
| 12th Prime Minister of Imagua and the Assimas | |
| In office 23 April, 1984 – 23 April, 1992 | |
| President | Marguerite Ernman |
| Deputy | Gerald Larsson |
| Preceded by | Marguerite Ernman |
| Succeeded by | Gerald Larsson |
| Member of Parliament for Rutigliano-East | |
| In office 23 April, 1992 – 5 March, 1993 | |
| Preceded by | constituency established |
| Succeeded by | Gregorio Cristina |
| Member of Parliament for Rutigliano-Piavenna | |
| In office 23 April, 1972 – 23 April, 1992 | |
| Preceded by | Verulo Campana |
| Succeeded by | constituency abolished |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Edmondo Privitera 28 May 1944 Piavenna, Nuovo Aeolia, Etruria |
| Nationality | Etrurian (1944-1946) Imaguan (1946-present) |
| Political party | Democratic Labour Party (since 1972) |
| Spouse(s) | Delfina Privitera (m. 1967; died 2019) |
| Children | 3 |
| Alma mater | Università di San Pietro |
Edmondo Privitera (b. 28 May, 1944) is the current President of Imagua and the Assimas, having been elected to the Imaguan presidency in March 2016, and previously served as the former Prime Minister, serving from 1984 to 1992.
First entering politics in 1968 as a county councillor for the Assimas County assembly, Privitera would enter Parliament in 1972 at the age of 28, making him one of the youngest legislators at the time. He would rise through the ranks, becoming Justice Minister and Defence Minister in 1976 under Pietro Muro's government. Following the death of Anthony Brockett in 1981, Privitera became Deputy Prime Minister, serving until Marguerite Ernman, the erstwhile Prime Minister ran for the Imaguan presidency in 1984.
As Prime Minister, Edmondo Privitera continued his predecessor's neoliberal reforms, and oversaw the legalisation of abortion in Imagua in 1988, Imagua joining the Arucian Cooperation Organization that same year, and decriminalising homosexuality in 1991. However, his premiership was marred by scandals involving his association with Baigent Powell and Pietro Muro, and following a failed attempt to run for the presidential nomination in 1992, Privitera resigned from the Chamber of Commons in 1993.
From 1994 until 2011, Edmondo Privitera would work for the Committee for Foreign and Community Relations in the Arucian Cooperation Organization. After his retirement from the ACO, Privitera returned to politics in the mid-2010s, culminating in his successful bid for President against Saverio Merante in the 2016 general election.
Early life
Edmondo Privitera was born on 28 May, 1944 in the town of Piavenna, as the third and youngest child, and second son, of shopkeeper and reservist Gioele Privitera and housewife Flaviana Privitera. When he was nearly two and a half years of age, the Assimas Islands were ceded from Etruria to Estmere, who attached the islands to Imagua, thereby establishing the present-day nation of Imagua and the Assimas.
In 1949, he began attending school at the Piavenna Primary School, where he was described as being a "middling student," although "very charismatic." In 1953, he was enrolled at the Piavenna Middle School, and in 1955, when he took the eleven-plus, he passed "by sheer luck," and thus was able to enroll at a grammar school.
As there were no grammar schools in Piavenna, he was enrolled at the Legionario Grammar School at Rutigliano. There, he was described as a "middling student," but was noted by his teachers to be "charismatic," with one teacher noting his potential to enter the political arena.
In 1960, he took the O-levels and passed with flying colours. Thus, he was allowed to go into Sixth Form: after passing his A-levels in 1962, he obtained a scholarship at the Università di San Pietro, where he majored in law. He obtained a bachelor's degree in 1965, and gained a master's degree in 1967 in law. That year, he married Delfina Berenato, after having dated her for four years.
However, Edmondo Privitera soon decided to not become a lawyer, instead seeking to enter politics as he felt that "the only way to make a change is to not work as a lawyer or a judge, but rather, as a politician."
Early political career
County councillor and early Parliamentary career
In 1968, Edmondo Privitera was elected to the county council to represent his hometown of Piavenna for the Democratic Labour Party. However, in his term as county councillor, Privitera realised that county governments lacked any substantial power early on, and began making plans to run for a seat in the Chamber of Commons in 1972. While the Assimas Autonomy Act of 1969 gave the Assimas more autonomy over education, welfare, and social development, Privitera concluded that the only way to make things better for the community was by entering the Chamber of Commons.
Following Verulo Campana's decision to retire in 1972, Privitera ran for the DLP in 1972 against Sotirian Democratic candidate Ottavio Trevisan, a factory owner in Rutigliano. However, Privitera's political experience and charisma helped the DLP keep the seat, winning with 60% of the vote.
After being sworn in on 23 April, 1972, Privitera began building up his base of support, aligning himself with Labour Minister Pietro Muro. In 1976, after Privitera was re-elected, Privitera was appointed to Muro's cabinet as Justice Minister and as Defence Minister. While Muro appointed Marguerite Ernman as his Deputy, Privitera's stature meant that he was seen as a future DLP leader, with Privitera being supported by Eric Fleming.
Privitera would keep his seat in 1980 despite facing a three-way race with Rosalia Annunziata and Aristarco Lenzini. He was subsequently reappointed to his portfolios.
Deputy Prime Minister
Following the death of Anthony Brockett in 1981, Pietro Muro became President, while Marguerite Ernman became Acting Prime Minister. One of the first things she did was appoint an acting cabinet, with Edmondo Privitera becoming Deputy Prime Minister. While this role meant that he vacated his existing portfolios, it solidified Privitera's position within the Democratic Labour Party. He would remain in that role after the 1981 parliamentary election.
During Privitera's tenure as Deputy Prime Minister, Edmondo Privitera stood in for Marguerite Ernman whenever she travelled abroad. Furthermore, she often delegated her menial tasks to Privitera, giving Privitera responsibilities that outweighed the position's ceremonial role. At the same time, Privitera began preparing for a future Prime Ministerial run, with Privitera planning to run in 1988, as he expected Pietro Muro to continue to serve as President until then. Thus, he spent much of his deputy premiership building up support from within the Democratic Labour Party.
However, in 1983, Pietro Muro announced his retirement from Imaguan politics. With Marguerite Ernman expressing an interest at running for the Imaguan presidency, this "fast-tracked" Privitera's plans to run for the Imaguan premiership. At the 1983 leadership convention, with support from Pietro Muro, Edmondo Privitera secured the DLP nomination for the Imaguan Presidency.
When elections were called, Edmondo Privitera ran against National Labour leader Raniero Chinnici and Sotirian Democrat Victor Banks on the national level. However, due to vote-splitting among the right, it was expected that Privitera would keep his seat and be the next Prime Minister. After election results were announced, Privitera kept his seat by a comfortable margin, while the DLP maintained its hold on the Imaguan Parliament with 43 seats, with the 1984 election being the last time the DLP ever won with a majority of the vote.
Premiership
First term
On 23 April, 1984, Marguerite Ernman appointed Edmondo Privitera to be the thirteenth Prime Minister in her first act as President. The same day, Privitera unveiled his Cabinet, appointing Gerald Larsson to be his Deputy Prime Minister.
As Prime Minister, Edmondo Privitera continued Muro's and Ernman's neoliberal policies, defending them as the "only way Imagua can recover from the recession." However, he halted the privatisation of Air Imagua, although did not reverse the measures, as he believed that Air Imagua "would help attract tourists to Imagua." Furthermore, although he engaged in deregulation, Privitera refused to "undermine worker's rights," saying that he would rather "remain in recession with the worker's rights intact than be prosperous with no worker's rights."
By 1985, the Imaguan economy fully recovered from the recession. Despite the economic recovery, Privitera did not recreate the welfare state that had existed under Eric Fleming and Efrem Lacovara, blaming its inefficiencies for the recession in Imagua. While Privitera and the DLP saw an increase of popularity, Privitera's decision in 1986 to appoint Arturo Davino, a convicted drug trafficker and an associate of Baigent Powell to the Legislative Council damaged his image among the public. Pietro Muro's finances also damaged Privitera, in part due to Privitera's association with Pietro Muro.
Despite these scandals damaging Privitera's reputation, Edmondo Privitera was nominated in 1987 to serve as the party's prime ministerial nominee, with Marguerite Ernman nominated to serve a second term. Thus, by 1988, Privitera would face off against Edwin Burke of the SDP and Dale Morse of the National Labour Party in that year's elections. In his home constituency, Privitera faced Pompeo Pisoni of the National Labour Party, although despite the NLP being the only major opposition party to run against him in his own constituency, Rutigliano-Piavenna was still a safe DLP seat, freeing Privitera to focuse exclusively on national campaigning.
On 25 March, 1988, Privitera won his own seat with 65.4% of the vote, with Pisoni only gaining 32.1% of the vote, and 2.1% going to other candidates. On the national level, the DLP took 38 seats in the Chamber of Commons, which was a decrease of five seats, but still enough to maintain a majority government.
Second term
On 23 April, 1988, Marguerite Ernman was sworn in for her second term as President, with Edmondo Privitera and his cabinet also being sworn in for their second term as government.
In the early days of his second term, Privitera officially signed the Treaty of TBD creating the Arucian Cooperation Organization, although at the time, the ACO lacked a customs union, common market, and did not have freedom of movement. As well, Privitera sought to legalise abortion in Imagua, which proved to be very controversial, with the initial bill legalising abortion up to twenty weeks for any reason.
After heated debates and discussions, the bill was watered down, so to allow abortions to be received only in case of medical reasons, or if the child was conceived of rape. While this helped ensure support from the National Labour Party, it was opposed by both the left-wing of the Democratic Labour Party for not being pro-choice enough, and from the remnants of the Sotirian Democrats, who viewed it as going "too far." After passing the Senate, the Abortion Act of 1988 was signed on 22 September, 1988 by Ernman, and went into effect on 1 January, 1989.
Following the legalisation of abortion, Edmondo Privitera shifted his attention towards increasing environmental regulations, with Privitera's Environment Minister Isaiah Russell tabling a bill that would tighten environmental standards to the point where it would be some of the tightest environmental standards in the Asterias at that time. While this bill was supported among many in the DLP, Conservatives and the unions both opposed the bill for "harming Imagua's declining industries." However, he was able to pass the Imaguan Environmental Act of 1989 in the summer of 1989.
By the early 1990s, Edmondo Privitera's government was losing popularity, due to a combination of anti-incumbency for the DLP, many Imaguans opposing the legalisation of abortion, and his continued association with Pietro Muro. This was exacerbated in 1991, when his government decriminalised homosexuality, saying that "it is time to end this notion that homosexuality between consenting adults is a crime, or an illness." Although it was supported among younger generations, the National Labour Party and Sotirian Labour Party were very critical of the decriminalisation of homosexuality, with virtually all Imaguan churches coming out in opposition to the law.
At the 1991 leadership convention, Edmondo Privitera tried to run for the presidential nomination, as Ernman's two terms were up. However, due to his association with Pietro Muro's government and decreasing popularity, he was defeated by Isidoro Libero, although Privitera was relieved that Gerald Larsson was the DLP nominee for the Imaguan premiership. He would campaign for Libero and Larsson in the [[Elections in Imagua and the Assimas#1992|1992 general election.
Post-premiership
Backbencher and ACO work
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Due to redistricting, Edmondo Privitera had to run in a new constituency for the 1992 general election. Despite his defeat at the 1991 leadership convention, Privitera was able to maintain enough of a position in the Democratic Labour Party to secure a nomination for the newly-established Rutigliano-East. He would run against NLP candidate Ulfo Correale, and would win the seat with 52% of the vote.
However, in January 1993, Privitera was questioned by the Assimas Police Force over his connections with a "corruption ring" that included Pietro Muro and Baigent Powell. While he was never charged with involvement in the corruption ring, many Imaguans saw Privitera as being complicit with the corruption ring, and called for Privitera to resign. Thus, in March 1993, Privitera resigned from the Chamber of Commons, to "spend more time with family."
Following his resignation from the Chamber of Commons, Edmondo Privitera would initially be reclusive, but by 1994, he would work for the Arucian Cooperation Organization as a member of the Committee for Foreign and Community Relations. Privitera would emerge as an advocate for free movement among the organisation's members following the establishment of a customs union in 1993, believing that free movement would "deepen the bonds between our Arucian family." Privitera also sought to deepen the ACO's ties with the Euclean Community, particularly Estmere and Gaullica, with Privitera saying in 2002 that the EC was "what the ACO should be in fifty years."
During the 1990s and 2000s, Edmondo Privitera maintained contacts within the Democratic Labour Party, although due to his commitment to his job with the ACO, and concerns of his association with Pietro Muro and with the "general corruption" that had existed in the Democratic Labour Party during the 1980s, Privitera played a fairly marginal role within the DLP. He would remain involved with the CRÉC until 2011, when Edmondo Privitera announced his retirement from his role at the Arucian Cooperation Organization, citing his age.
Return to public life
Following Privitera's retirement from the Arucian Cooperation Organization, Edmondo Privitera would begin returning to public life. At the 2011 Democratic Labour leadership convention, Edmondo Privitera endorsed Immacolata Contessa and Agostina Di Bari in their bids for the Imaguan presidency and premiership respectively.
Following the 2012 general election, Edmondo Privitera began to take on a more prominent role within the party, with pundits predicting that Edmondo Privitera would run for the Imaguan presidency in 2016. During this period, Edmondo Privitera frequently criticised the Sotirian Labour Party for its "neglect of working people while sucking the teat of the banks." Privitera also served as a DLP spokesman, promoting the DLP and its vision of a "credible and competent government."
At the 2015 leadership convention, Edmondo Privitera was nominated to be the DLP presidential nominee for the 2016 general election, with Privitera endorsing Douglas Egnell to be the DLP nominee for the Imaguan premiership. The following year, he would run against Saverio Merante of the Sotirian Labour Party. His campaign focused on "real change," as the Sotirian Labour Party had been in power since the 2000 general election, which made his campaign attractive to Imaguans. This was helped by his performance in the presidential debates against Merante. Due to his campaign, Privitera would win the presidency with 63.58% of the vote against Merante's 36.30% of the vote.
Presidency
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On 23 April, 2016, Edmondo Privitera was sworn in as the twelfth President of Imagua and the Assimas, succeeding outgoing President Agnes Ingram. He would appoint Douglas Egnell to serve as Prime Minister, who in turn appointed his cabinet.
As president, Edmondo Privitera would represent Imagua internationally, and attend ceremonial events within Imagua. With a DLP majority in his first term, Privitera played a marginal role in Imaguan politics during that time, as per constitutional convention, Douglas Egnell's government handled all affairs. In 2019, after declaring that he would run for a second term as President, the DLP subsequently nominated him to be their presidential nominee.
While Privitera defeated Sotirian Labour candidate Dennis Egnell in the 2020 general election with 57.16% to Egnell's 42.40% of the vote, the DLP lost its parliamentary majority, with the Movement for a New Imagua, a party led by Dalmazio Pasquarello increasing its seat total to 16, causing the DLP to fall to 27 seats, just two ahead of the Sotirian Labour Party.
This affected Privitera's second term, as it is now likely for a snap election to be called for the Chamber of Commons if the DLP loses budgetary votes. Due to the DLP's status as a minority government, Edmondo Privitera has taken on an increased role in his second term, with Privitera often consulting with Egnell as to how to "maintain government" for a full term.
Personal life
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In 1963, Edmondo Privitera first met the 18-year old Delfina Berenato. Quickly falling in love, they remained in a relationship until they married in November 1967. According to Delfina in 2008, the marriage had been "a happy marriage." In 2018, a minor scandal emerged when it was revealed that they were second cousins, sharing a common great-grandmother. Delfina would die in 2019 at the age of 74 of old age.
Together, they had three children: Linda Mortellaro, born in 1968, Leo Privitera, born in 1971, and Cassandra Woods, born in 1973. He is also a grandfather, with four grandchildren: Liam Mortellaro, born in 1996, Berenice Privitera, born in 2001, Antero Privitera, born in 2004, and James Woods, born in 2006.
Political views
Edmondo Privitera was a democratic socialist in his early political career, as he believed that the economy should be organized on the basis of workers' self-management, and that the capitalist system in place was "fundamentally incompatible with the ideals of liberty, equality, and fraternity."
However, in the 1980s, following the Recession of 1980, Privitera started to shift towards social democracy, as he "learnt that capitalism, while not inherently good in and of itself, is the best system to ensure prosperity among all."
Privitera supports abortion, saying that it should be legal until twenty weeks for any reason, and up until birth for medical reasons for either the fetus or mother, or if the fetus is conceived due to rape, and supports civil unions, with a long term goal of supporting same-sex marriage. He is supportive of the environmental movement, saying that "it is everyone's responsibility to preserve the environment, for no one can be as lucky as Etruria, Estmere, or Shangea," and supports low levels of legal immigration, due to concerns that immigrants were used "only to help the elites in Cuanstad by giving them a cheap source of labour," while giving the employers an excuse to fire Imaguans.
Religion
Edmondo Privitera had been baptized as a Solarian Catholic, and had been a practicing Solarian Catholic during his first tenure as Prime Minister. However, in the 1990s, he became a lapsed Catholic, saying in 2008 that:
"While I still believe in the basic principles of the Church, while I still believe in the Lord and the theology of the Church, I have not been as active in the Church since the mid-1990s, because I have committed all my attention and energy towards improving the lot of the people in this world."
While he still attends Easter and Christmas mass, Privitera otherwise does not attend mass.