Dario Lorenzin
Dario Lorenzin | |
|---|---|
 Dario Lorenzin | |
| 48th President of Marirana | |
| In office 28th January 2008 – 28th January 2013 | |
| Prime Minister | Maddalena Angiolillo Giovan Boutros Rosa Michelozzi |
| Preceded by | Roberto Vernizzi |
| Succeeded by | Giorgio Macciocchi |
| Mariranan Ambassador to the Community of Nations | |
| Assumed office 9th June 2018 | |
| President | Lorenzo Occhetto |
| Preceded by | Maria Rattazzi |
| Attorney General | |
| In office 14th June 2000 – 16th March 2003 | |
| President | Giordano Falcomatà |
| Preceded by | Mario Franzo |
| Succeeded by | Pietro Gioia |
| Personal details | |
| Born | December 23, 1952 Aquinas, Vittico, Marirana |
| Political party | Positive Marirana |
| Other political affiliations | Democratic Alternative (1987-2000; 2003-2006) |
| Spouse | Jill Dumont |
| Children | Mario Bella |
| Alma mater | University of Aquinas University of Freeminster |
| Occupation | Politician |
Dario Lorenzin (born 23rd December, 1952) is a Mariranan politician. He served as the 48th President of Marirana from 2008 to 2013 and previously served as the Attorney General from 2000 to 2003 under the presidency of Giordano Falcomatà. The founder of the liberal Positive Marirana party Lorenzin was previously a member of Democratic Alternative.
A lawyer who studied in the Federation, Lorenzin became a public prosecutor in the 1990's where he became famous for spearheading detailed cases against corrupt officials in Montopoli. In 2000 he was tapped to become Attorney General in the cabinet of Roberto Vernizzi, continuing the role under Giuseppe Rognoni where he was accused of using lawfare against corrupt officials and attempting to politicise the judiciary. He was removed from cabinet in 2003.
In 2006 Lorenzin left the Democratic Alternative party over corruption allegations and formed the Positive Marirana party which soon became the dominant party of the centre-left. In anticipation for the 2008 election Lorenzin formed the Alliance of the Centre coalition which included the Positive Marirana, Socialist Party, Forza Marirana and the Union of Green Democrats - Ecological Alternative.
During the 2008 election Lorenzin attained 37.6% vote in the first round, before getting 54.3% against Giuseppe Rognoni in the second round. The Alliance for the Centre coalition won the 2008 legislative election enabling Lorenzin to govern with a majority. As president Lorenzin was forced to deal with a recession, reacting by cutting public expenditure and pursuing economic liberalisation. Lorenzin also launched a comprehensive anti-corruption crackdown and attempted to negotiate with insurgent groups, although talks broke down in 2011.
In 2010 Forza Marirana left the government after stalled economic reforms forming a coalition government with the Anti-Revolutionary Party and the Democratic Alternative; this forced Lorenzin to enter a state of cohabitation. Lorenzin criticised this development as leading to a "system of paralysis" and came to conflict with the executive, leading to government gridlock. He officially stepped down as president on the 28 January 2013 when his five year term ended to low approval ratings.
Lorenzin ran in the 2018 election for the presidency - however he attained only 4.2% of the vote and did not enter the second round. Lorenzin subsequently endorsed Lorenzo Occhetto for the presidency with Positive Marirana joining the left-wing Avanti Marirana! political coalition. He was appointed as Marirana's representative to the Community of Nations in June 2018 by President Occhetto.
Early and academic life
Lorenzin was born in 1952 in the city of Aquinas as the second son to a middle-class family, with his father's family having emigrated to Marirana from Werania in the 1860's whilst his mother was of Bahian descent. His father Emiliano was a journalist whilst his mother was a nurse. He attended a Catholic private school from the ages of 12 to 18 before being accepted into the prestigious University of Aquinas from 1970 studying History before dropping out and transferring to the University of Freeminster in 1972 to study law. He earned a bachelors degree from Freeminister in 1975 and a masters in 1977 in the legal profession.
In 1975 Lorenzin married a fellow law student, Jill Dumont, who was an Asterian citizen. Following their marriage in 1978 Lorenzin had his first child, Mario and in 1981 his second Bella.
Legal career
Following his graduation from university Lorenzin returned to Marirana moving to the city of Montopoli, where he became a municipal judge in the city of Montopoli. However he resigned from the court in 1978 after having his first child Lorenzin set up his own private law firm in the city.
In 1982 Lorenzin defended the court cases of dissidents who had been tortured by the than ruling military regime leading him to become a human rights lawyer on behalf of dissidents to the regime. Most famously in 1985 when he sought to bring to attention the case of the Nuovi V, a rock band in Marirana that was imprisoned by the regime for "spreading subversive messages". Lorenzin gained national attention over the case which infuriated the military regime. Amid international criticism Lorenzin was imprisoned in 1984 for "supporting seditious elements" and his lawyer licence revoked.
Lorenzin's imprisonment meant he became one of the most high profile dissidents in the country. In 1987 president Ignazio Antoniotto officially pardoned Lorenzin as part of his liberalisation process. Lorenzin as a result was invited by Stefano Uccello to join his Democratic Alternative party and subsequently campaigned for the Coalition for Democratic Action in the 1987 presidential and 1988 legislative elections. Despite being offered a parliamentary seat Lorenzin instead opted to return to the legal profession in order to campaign for former victims of the regime to receive compensation.
In 1992 following financial troubles with his legal firm Lorenzin became a public prosecutor in Montopoli. He soon garnered a reputation of being harsh on local corruption, actively investigation and prosecuting cases of fiscal corruption in the city. Lorenzin's critics accused him of lawfare, but his stringent anti-corruption crusade led to him to become the most popular public figure in the city.
During the 1998 election members of the Democratic Alternative party approached Lorenzin to persuade him to run for president. Lorenzin refused the offer due to his view at the time that entering politics would taint his legacy as a prosecutor.
Political career
In 2000 president Giordano Falcomatà and prime minister Alessandra Michelozzi approached Lorenzin to become Attorney-General after the resignation of Mario Franzo. Lorenzin agreed after suspending his membership with the Democratic Alternative, and pledged to be nonpartisan in his duties as Attorney-General.
Lorenzin soon proved himself to be an activist within the cabinet, actively going after corrupt officials in government and attempting to bring them to justice, in line with president Falcomatà's "clean hands" anti-corruption programme. Lorenzin was soon accused of using the same lawfare tactics as he had done in Montopoli. In 2002 Lorenzin proposed a wide reaching legal reform that would have placed far more power in the Attorney-General's hands - Lorenzin was accused of politicising the judiciary, albeit the government defended the proposals by stating they would serve more to clean up the judiciary of corrupt elements rather than politicise it. During the 2003 election Lorenzin endorsed the government's candidate Alessandra Michelozzi and after the election resigned from the Attorney-General's office.