Daniele Capezzone
Encyclopedia
Daniele Capezzone is a centre-right Italian politician.
He currently is the spokesman for the People of Freedom.
From July 14, 2001 to November 4, 2006, he was secretary of the Italian Radicals
, a liberal
, pro-market economy
, libertarian
movement
associated with the Transnational Radical Party
. He was one of the youngest party-secretaries in Italy
so far.
In 2006-2008, he was the President of the 10th Permanent Commission (Productive Affairs, Trade and Tourism) of the Italian Chamber of Deputies
.
Faculty at LUISS "Guido Carli" University until 1997. On January 1, 1998, he attended a Radical Party demonstration, where he first met the radical leader Marco Pannella
. He then dropped the studies and became a political activist. On July 14, 2001, he was elected Secretary of the newly-born party of the Italian Radicals
.
In 2003, he published his first book, A radical shock for 21st Century, a synthesis of the Radical's proposals about the constitution of a "World Democracy Organization". The contents of the book were presented at the Washington D.C. American Enterprise Institute
in March 2004.
In 2004, Capezzone came into light: he published his second book, Euroghost - Un fantasma si aggira per l'Europa: l'Europa (English translation: Euroghost - A Ghost wanders through Europe: Europe itself); he undertook a 54-days-last hunger strike
(with the Italian Radicals Treasurer, Rita Bernardini, and the death-penalty abolitionist organization Hands Off Cain President, Sergio D'Elia), asking to the Italian Parliament to pass a general pardon-law; he wrote some op-ed articles for the Italian right-wing newspaper
Libero and for The Washington Times
.
Capezzone became a well-known politician also for his appearances in the satirical
TV show Markette (on private TV-channel La7
) and for his caricature
-imitation
made by Italian comedian Neri Marcorè in another satirical TV show, Superciro (on private TV-channel Italia 1
).
During Spring 2005, he undertook another hunger strike (once more with Rita Bernardini) asking to the Italian public service broadcaster RAI
to give more space to the debates on the Radical referendum
proposals for partially abrogate the law on artificial insemination
, particularly strict in Italy. The four proposals, held on June 12 and 13 2005, were however invalidated due to high abstenionism.
In November 2005, Capezzone was re-confirmed as Italian Radicals' Secretary for the fourth time in a row and he conducted the birth of the Rose in the Fist
, a libertarian
-socialist federation with the Italian Democratic Socialists
(SDI). He was elected in the general election of 2006
as a member of the Chamber of Deputies
and, on June 6, 2006, as President of the 10th Permanent Commission, becoming the first radical politician to be elected as a President of a Permanent Commission in the Italian Parliament.
During the 5th Congress of the Italian Radicals (held in Padova, November 2–5, 2006), Capezzone has been harshly challenged by many Radical leaders, because of his criticism to the Prodi II Cabinet
(mostly stigmatized from Minister of European Politics and International Trade, Emma Bonino
) and for an alleged personalistic management of the movement, which allegedly caused a worsening of the economical condition of the party.
In the previous days, newspaper
s reported rumours about the likelihood of his substitution at the party Secretariat, in favour of the Treasurer Rita Bernardini. The Radicals historical leader Marco Pannella
justified that substitution not as "an act of disconfidence" on Capezzone, but as the prosecution of a historical custom of no overlapping of party- and parliamentarian-appointments.
Newspapers however insisted on a break-up between Pannella and Capezzone (shown respectively as "the past" and "the future" of the Radical movement), re-publishing an audio/video recording (already published by Radio Radicale
's website) of a very lively discussion between the two politicians, during the Italian Radicals' National Direction meeting held on October 26, 2006. Also in October, Capezzone came out as bisexual.
After an even more lively Italian Radicals' National Direction meeting held on November 4, 2006 night, during the 5th Congress of the movement, Capezzone accepted not to offer himself for the fifth time in a row for the Secretariat and to support instead the candidature of the Treasurer Rita Bernardini. The 5th Congress accepted anyway his proposal of General Motion (co-signed with Bernardini), that committed the Italian Radicals to relaunch the Rose in the Fist
alliance and to press the Prodi II Cabinet for embark new libertarian proposals on economy
and civil rights
.
From that time, anyway, Capezzone started to distance himself from his party and to be very critical with Prodi II Cabinet
, which he says not to support anymore. In June 2007, despite not having left the Radicals yet, he launched his own political association, Decide!
, mounting rumors that he was heading towards the centre-right House of Freedoms
coalition. On 7 November Capezzone finally left the Italian Radicals
and the Rose in the Fist
.
He's been the spokesman of Forza Italia
and then of The People of Freedom
.
He currently is the spokesman for the People of Freedom.
From July 14, 2001 to November 4, 2006, he was secretary of the Italian Radicals
Italian Radicals
Italian Radicals is an Italian political party which describes itself as a liberale, liberista e libertario political movement .It was...
, a liberal
Liberalism
Liberalism is the belief in the importance of liberty and equal rights. Liberals espouse a wide array of views depending on their understanding of these principles, but generally, liberals support ideas such as constitutionalism, liberal democracy, free and fair elections, human rights,...
, pro-market economy
Market economy
A market economy is an economy in which the prices of goods and services are determined in a free price system. This is often contrasted with a state-directed or planned economy. Market economies can range from hypothetically pure laissez-faire variants to an assortment of real-world mixed...
, libertarian
Libertarianism
Libertarianism, in the strictest sense, is the political philosophy that holds individual liberty as the basic moral principle of society. In the broadest sense, it is any political philosophy which approximates this view...
movement
Political movement
A political movement is a social movement in the area of politics. A political movement may be organized around a single issue or set of issues, or around a set of shared concerns of a social group...
associated with the Transnational Radical Party
Transnational Radical Party
The Transnational Radical Party is a political association of citizens, parliamentarians and members of government of various national and political backgrounds who intend to use nonviolent means to create an effective body of international law with respect for individuals and the...
. He was one of the youngest party-secretaries in Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
so far.
In 2006-2008, he was the President of the 10th Permanent Commission (Productive Affairs, Trade and Tourism) of the Italian Chamber of Deputies
Italian Chamber of Deputies
The Italian Chamber of Deputies is the lower house of the Parliament of Italy. It has 630 seats, a plurality of which is controlled presently by liberal-conservative party People of Freedom. Twelve deputies represent Italian citizens outside of Italy. Deputies meet in the Palazzo Montecitorio. A...
.
Biography
Graduated at "Lucio Manara" Secondary School in Classical Studies in Rome, he attended LawLaw
Law is a system of rules and guidelines which are enforced through social institutions to govern behavior, wherever possible. It shapes politics, economics and society in numerous ways and serves as a social mediator of relations between people. Contract law regulates everything from buying a bus...
Faculty at LUISS "Guido Carli" University until 1997. On January 1, 1998, he attended a Radical Party demonstration, where he first met the radical leader Marco Pannella
Marco Pannella
Giacinto Pannella, better known as Marco Pannella is an Italian politician.He is the historic leader of the Italian Radicals...
. He then dropped the studies and became a political activist. On July 14, 2001, he was elected Secretary of the newly-born party of the Italian Radicals
Italian Radicals
Italian Radicals is an Italian political party which describes itself as a liberale, liberista e libertario political movement .It was...
.
In 2003, he published his first book, A radical shock for 21st Century, a synthesis of the Radical's proposals about the constitution of a "World Democracy Organization". The contents of the book were presented at the Washington D.C. American Enterprise Institute
American Enterprise Institute
The American Enterprise Institute for Public Policy Research is a conservative think tank founded in 1943. Its stated mission is "to defend the principles and improve the institutions of American freedom and democratic capitalism—limited government, private enterprise, individual liberty and...
in March 2004.
In 2004, Capezzone came into light: he published his second book, Euroghost - Un fantasma si aggira per l'Europa: l'Europa (English translation: Euroghost - A Ghost wanders through Europe: Europe itself); he undertook a 54-days-last hunger strike
Hunger strike
A hunger strike is a method of non-violent resistance or pressure in which participants fast as an act of political protest, or to provoke feelings of guilt in others, usually with the objective to achieve a specific goal, such as a policy change. Most hunger strikers will take liquids but not...
(with the Italian Radicals Treasurer, Rita Bernardini, and the death-penalty abolitionist organization Hands Off Cain President, Sergio D'Elia), asking to the Italian Parliament to pass a general pardon-law; he wrote some op-ed articles for the Italian right-wing newspaper
Newspaper
A newspaper is a scheduled publication containing news of current events, informative articles, diverse features and advertising. It usually is printed on relatively inexpensive, low-grade paper such as newsprint. By 2007, there were 6580 daily newspapers in the world selling 395 million copies a...
Libero and for The Washington Times
The Washington Times
The Washington Times is a daily broadsheet newspaper published in Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States. It was founded in 1982 by Unification Church founder Sun Myung Moon, and until 2010 was owned by News World Communications, an international media conglomerate associated with the...
.
Capezzone became a well-known politician also for his appearances in the satirical
Satire
Satire is primarily a literary genre or form, although in practice it can also be found in the graphic and performing arts. In satire, vices, follies, abuses, and shortcomings are held up to ridicule, ideally with the intent of shaming individuals, and society itself, into improvement...
TV show Markette (on private TV-channel La7
La7
La7 is an Italian television channel owned by Telecom Italia Media and operated by Telecom Italia.-History:In 2001, Lorenzo Pellicioli and Roberto Colaninno, of Telecom Italia announced they had acquired Telemontecarlo, in order to create a strong competitor against the six other national channels...
) and for his caricature
Caricature
A caricature is a portrait that exaggerates or distorts the essence of a person or thing to create an easily identifiable visual likeness. In literature, a caricature is a description of a person using exaggeration of some characteristics and oversimplification of others.Caricatures can be...
-imitation
Imitation
Imitation is an advanced behavior whereby an individual observes and replicates another's. The word can be applied in many contexts, ranging from animal training to international politics.-Anthropology and social sciences:...
made by Italian comedian Neri Marcorè in another satirical TV show, Superciro (on private TV-channel Italia 1
Italia 1
Italia 1 is an Italian commercial television channel on the Mediaset network. It is oriented especially at young people.Italia 1 was launched in January 1982 and, originally, was owned by Rusconi; after a few months, however, due to the aggressive dumping practices of Silvio Berlusconi's rival...
).
During Spring 2005, he undertook another hunger strike (once more with Rita Bernardini) asking to the Italian public service broadcaster RAI
RAI
RAI — Radiotelevisione italiana S.p.A. known until 1954 as Radio Audizioni Italiane, is the Italian state owned public service broadcaster controlled by the Ministry of Economic Development. Rai is the biggest television company in Italy...
to give more space to the debates on the Radical referendum
Referendum
A referendum is a direct vote in which an entire electorate is asked to either accept or reject a particular proposal. This may result in the adoption of a new constitution, a constitutional amendment, a law, the recall of an elected official or simply a specific government policy. It is a form of...
proposals for partially abrogate the law on artificial insemination
Artificial insemination
Artificial insemination, or AI, is the process by which sperm is placed into the reproductive tract of a female for the purpose of impregnating the female by using means other than sexual intercourse or natural insemination...
, particularly strict in Italy. The four proposals, held on June 12 and 13 2005, were however invalidated due to high abstenionism.
In November 2005, Capezzone was re-confirmed as Italian Radicals' Secretary for the fourth time in a row and he conducted the birth of the Rose in the Fist
Rose in the Fist
The Rose in the Fist was a coalition of parties in Italy.The RnP was composed of the social-democratic Italian Democratic Socialists , the libertarian Italian Radicals and some independent members gathered in the Association for the Rose in the Fist The Rose in the Fist was a coalition of...
, a libertarian
Libertarianism
Libertarianism, in the strictest sense, is the political philosophy that holds individual liberty as the basic moral principle of society. In the broadest sense, it is any political philosophy which approximates this view...
-socialist federation with the Italian Democratic Socialists
Italian Democratic Socialists
The Italian Democratic Socialists were a small social-democratic political party in Italy. Led by Enrico Boselli, the party was the direct continuation of the Italian Socialists, the legal successor of the historical Italian Socialist Party...
(SDI). He was elected in the general election of 2006
Italian general election, 2006
In the Italian general election, 2006 for the renewal of the two Chambers of the Parliament of Italy held on April 9 and April 10, 2006 the incumbent prime minister Silvio Berlusconi, leader of the center-right House of Freedoms, was narrowly defeated by Romano Prodi, leader of the center-left The...
as a member of the Chamber of Deputies
Italian Chamber of Deputies
The Italian Chamber of Deputies is the lower house of the Parliament of Italy. It has 630 seats, a plurality of which is controlled presently by liberal-conservative party People of Freedom. Twelve deputies represent Italian citizens outside of Italy. Deputies meet in the Palazzo Montecitorio. A...
and, on June 6, 2006, as President of the 10th Permanent Commission, becoming the first radical politician to be elected as a President of a Permanent Commission in the Italian Parliament.
During the 5th Congress of the Italian Radicals (held in Padova, November 2–5, 2006), Capezzone has been harshly challenged by many Radical leaders, because of his criticism to the Prodi II Cabinet
Romano Prodi
Romano Prodi is an Italian politician and statesman. He served as the Prime Minister of Italy, from 17 May 1996 to 21 October 1998 and from 17 May 2006 to 8 May 2008...
(mostly stigmatized from Minister of European Politics and International Trade, Emma Bonino
Emma Bonino
Emma Bonino is an Italian politician, former Member of the European Parliament and current Member of the Italian Senate. She is a leading member of the Italian Radicals, a political party that supports economic and social libertarianism, and human rights...
) and for an alleged personalistic management of the movement, which allegedly caused a worsening of the economical condition of the party.
In the previous days, newspaper
Newspaper
A newspaper is a scheduled publication containing news of current events, informative articles, diverse features and advertising. It usually is printed on relatively inexpensive, low-grade paper such as newsprint. By 2007, there were 6580 daily newspapers in the world selling 395 million copies a...
s reported rumours about the likelihood of his substitution at the party Secretariat, in favour of the Treasurer Rita Bernardini. The Radicals historical leader Marco Pannella
Marco Pannella
Giacinto Pannella, better known as Marco Pannella is an Italian politician.He is the historic leader of the Italian Radicals...
justified that substitution not as "an act of disconfidence" on Capezzone, but as the prosecution of a historical custom of no overlapping of party- and parliamentarian-appointments.
Newspapers however insisted on a break-up between Pannella and Capezzone (shown respectively as "the past" and "the future" of the Radical movement), re-publishing an audio/video recording (already published by Radio Radicale
Radio Radicale
Radio Radicale is the official radio station of Partito Radicale in Italy.It was founded in the seventies, along with the "Radio libere"....
's website) of a very lively discussion between the two politicians, during the Italian Radicals' National Direction meeting held on October 26, 2006. Also in October, Capezzone came out as bisexual.
After an even more lively Italian Radicals' National Direction meeting held on November 4, 2006 night, during the 5th Congress of the movement, Capezzone accepted not to offer himself for the fifth time in a row for the Secretariat and to support instead the candidature of the Treasurer Rita Bernardini. The 5th Congress accepted anyway his proposal of General Motion (co-signed with Bernardini), that committed the Italian Radicals to relaunch the Rose in the Fist
Rose in the Fist
The Rose in the Fist was a coalition of parties in Italy.The RnP was composed of the social-democratic Italian Democratic Socialists , the libertarian Italian Radicals and some independent members gathered in the Association for the Rose in the Fist The Rose in the Fist was a coalition of...
alliance and to press the Prodi II Cabinet for embark new libertarian proposals on economy
Economy
An economy consists of the economic system of a country or other area; the labor, capital and land resources; and the manufacturing, trade, distribution, and consumption of goods and services of that area...
and civil rights
Civil rights
Civil and political rights are a class of rights that protect individuals' freedom from unwarranted infringement by governments and private organizations, and ensure one's ability to participate in the civil and political life of the state without discrimination or repression.Civil rights include...
.
From that time, anyway, Capezzone started to distance himself from his party and to be very critical with Prodi II Cabinet
Prodi II Cabinet
The Prodi II Cabinet was the cabinet of the government of Italy from 17 May 2006 to 8 May 2008, a total of 722 days, or 1 year, 11 months and 21 days...
, which he says not to support anymore. In June 2007, despite not having left the Radicals yet, he launched his own political association, Decide!
Decide!
Decide! was an Italian libertarian political association led by Daniele Capezzone.The group was sometimes also referred to as Decidere.net, in reference to its official website. It was one of the founding members of Silvio Berlusconi's The People of Freedom party...
, mounting rumors that he was heading towards the centre-right House of Freedoms
House of Freedoms
The House of Freedoms , was a major Italian centre-right political and electoral alliance led by Silvio Berlusconi. It was initially composed of several political parties:*Forza Italia *National Alliance...
coalition. On 7 November Capezzone finally left the Italian Radicals
Italian Radicals
Italian Radicals is an Italian political party which describes itself as a liberale, liberista e libertario political movement .It was...
and the Rose in the Fist
Rose in the Fist
The Rose in the Fist was a coalition of parties in Italy.The RnP was composed of the social-democratic Italian Democratic Socialists , the libertarian Italian Radicals and some independent members gathered in the Association for the Rose in the Fist The Rose in the Fist was a coalition of...
.
He's been the spokesman of Forza Italia
Forza Italia
Forza Italia was a liberal-conservative, Christian democratic, and liberal political party in Italy, with a large social democratic minority, that was led by Silvio Berlusconi, four times Prime Minister of Italy....
and then of The People of Freedom
The People of Freedom
The People of Freedom is a centre-right political party in Italy. With the Democratic Party, it is one of the two major parties of the current Italian party system....
.