This article is about the Italian legislator. For the similar name used as an alias by terrorist Ramzi Yousef

Ramzi Yousef

Ramzi Yousef was one of the main perpetrators of the 1993 World Trade Center bombing and a co-conspirator in the Bojinka plot. In 1995, he was arrested at a guest house in Islamabad, by the Pakistani Inter-Services Intelligence and United States Diplomatic Security Service, then extradited to the...

 for Philippine Airlines Flight 434

Philippine Airlines Flight 434

Philippine Airlines Flight 434 was the route designator of a flight from Ninoy Aquino International Airport, Pasay City, the Philippines, to New Tokyo International Airport , Narita near Tokyo, Japan, with one stop at Mactan-Cebu International Airport, Cebu, the Philippines.On December 11, 1994...

, see Ramzi Yousef.

Arnaldo Forlani (ar'naldo for'laːni; born 8 December 1925) is an Italian

Politics of Italy

The politics of Italy is conducted through a parliamentary, democratic republic with a multi-party system. Executive power is exercised collectively by the Council of Ministers, which is led by the President of the Council of Ministers, referred to as "Presidente del Consiglio" in Italian...

 politician who served as the 44th Prime Minister

Prime minister of Italy

The Prime Minister of Italy is the head of government of the Italian Republic...

 of Italy from 18 October 1980 through 28 June 1981.

Biography

Forlani was born in Pesaro

Pesaro

Pesaro is a town and comune in the Italian region of the Marche, capital of the Pesaro e Urbino province, on the Adriatic. According to the 2007 census, its population was 92,206....

, Marche

Marche

The population density in the region is below the national average. In 2008, it was 161.5 inhabitants per km2, compared to the national figure of 198.8. It is highest in the province of Ancona , and lowest in the province of Macerata...

.

After the degree in law, Forlani began his career as politician in 1948, holding the position of provincial leader of Italian Christian Democratic Party

Christian Democracy (Italy)

Christian Democracy was a Christian democratic party in Italy. It was founded in 1943 as the ideological successor of the historical Italian People's Party, which had the same symbol, a crossed shield ....

 in Pesaro and Urbino. In 1954 he became member of the central directive of DC.

He was first elected to the chamber of deputies in 1958 and served as foreign minister

Foreign minister

A Minister of Foreign Affairs, or foreign minister, is a cabinet minister who helps form the foreign policy of a sovereign state. The foreign minister is often regarded as the most senior ministerial position below that of the head of government . It is often granted to the deputy prime minister in...

 from 1976 to 1979. In 1969 he had been elected as president of DC.

As prime minister he had to deal with corruption scandals within his party, an earthquake in southern Italy and a renewed bout of left-wing terrorism

Left-wing terrorism

Left-wing terrorism, sometimes called Marxist-Leninist terrorism or revolutionary/left-wing terrorism is a tactic used to overthrow capitalism and replace it with Marxist-Leninist or socialist government.-Ideology:...

. He was known as an unflamboyant politician who attempted to stay out of the factionalism in his party. During his presidency, the list of who belonged to the secret lodge P2 was published. However, the lateness with which they were published gained Forlani heavy criticism (in particular from the Italian Communist Party

Italian Communist Party

The Italian Communist Party was a communist political party in Italy.The PCI was founded as Communist Party of Italy on 21 January 1921 in Livorno, by seceding from the Italian Socialist Party . Amadeo Bordiga and Antonio Gramsci led the split. Outlawed during the Fascist regime, the party played...

). He was therefore compelled to resign from the position, staying away from spotlight of politics for a certain period. With his resignation, the unbroken line since 1945 of DC Prime Ministers came to an end.

In the two governments led by Bettino Craxi

Bettino Craxi

Benedetto Craxi was an Italian politician, head of the Italian Socialist Party from 1976 to 1993, the first socialist President of the Council of Ministers of Italy from 1983 to 1987.-Political career:...

 (of Partito Socialista Italiano) in the 1980s, Forlani was the vice prime minister. Italian historians of the period have suggested that Craxi, Forlani and Giulio Andreotti

Giulio Andreotti

Giulio Andreotti is an Italian politician of the now dissolved centrist Christian Democracy party. He served as the 42nd Prime Minister of Italy from 1972 to 1973, from 1976 to 1979 and from 1989 to 1992. He also served as Minister of the Interior , Defense Minister and Foreign Minister and he...

 had signed a secret pact to control the politics of Italy: from the initials of their surnames, this pact was named CAF.

During the Tangentopoli

Tangentopoli

Tangentopoli is a term which was coined to describe pervasive corruption in the Italian political system exposed in the 1992-6 Mani Pulite investigations, as well as the resulting scandal, which led to the collapse of the hitherto dominant Christian Democracy party and its allies.-Popular distrust...

 scandal, Forlani was charged of having received illegal funds, and subsequently retired from public politics.

His former spokesman, Pier Ferdinando Casini

Pier Ferdinando Casini

Pier Ferdinando Casini is an Italian politician.-Biography:President of the Italian Chamber of Deputies from 2001 to 2006...

, is considered Forlani's politics direct heir.