Claudio Scajola

Claudio Scajola (Italian pronunciation: [ˈklaudjo skaˈjɔːla]; born 15 January 1948 in Imperia) is an Italian politician, current Mayor of Imperia.

Claudio Scajola
Mayor of Imperia
Incumbent
Assumed office 27 June 2018
Preceded by	Carlo Capacci
In office 7 May 1990 – 23 April 1995
Preceded by	Giovanni Gramondo
Succeeded by	Davide Berio
In office 29 October 1983 – 13 December 1983
Preceded by	Renato Pilade
Succeeded by	Giovanni Barbagallo
Minister of Economic Development
In office 8 May 2008 – 4 May 2010
Prime Minister	Silvio Berlusconi
Preceded by	Pier Luigi Bersani
Succeeded by	Paolo Romani
In office 23 April 2005 – 17 May 2006
Prime Minister	Silvio Berlusconi
Preceded by	Antonio Marzano
Succeeded by	Pier Luigi Bersani
Minister of the Interior
In office 11 June 2001 – 3 July 2002
Prime Minister	Silvio Berlusconi
Preceded by	Enzo Bianco
Succeeded by	Giuseppe Pisanu
Member of the Chamber of Deputies
In office 9 May 1996 – 14 March 2013
Personal details
Born	15 January 1948 Imperia, Italy
Nationality	Italian
Political party	DC (1970s–1994) Forza Italia (1994–2009) PdL (2009–2013) Forza Italia (2013–2018)
Alma mater	University of Genoa

Career

A long-time Christian Democrat, he was Mayor of Imperia during a short period in the 1980s and from 1990 to 1995, as his father and his brother had been. When Christian Democracy disbanded, he joined Forza Italia in 1995. He was then elected deputy in 1996 and was national coordinator of the party from 1996 to 2001 (and again in 2003). He also led a faction named after him, the Scajoliani.

He was minister of interior from 2001 to 2002 and later minister of productive activities in the third cabinet of Silvio Berlusconi.[1] In this capacity, Scajola was a strong advocate for the Italian re-entry into commercial use of nuclear power for the generation of electricity.

He has been nicknamed SkyOla because allegedly has been using Alitalia airplanes for private use. An unnecessary air route has been created from Leonardo da Vinci-Fiumicino Airport to Villanova d'Albenga International Airport which he uses regularly for traveling from and to his parliamentary job, rarely it is used by other passengers.[2] This scandal was exposed in 2008 by the RAI television program AnnoZero.

In April 2010 Italian newspapers wrote that Scajola, in July 2004, used €1,100,000 in slush funds to buy a flat in Rome near the Colosseum. At least €900,000 of those funds where reportedly traced as coming from Diego Anemone, a real estate developer under accusation of public servants bribing.[3][4] During a press conference, the minister defended himself saying that maybe the house had been paid without his knowledge.[5] These justifications were not deemed sufficient by public opinion and, in May 2010, Scajola resigned from office.

At the 2018 communal elections, Scajola is re-elected Mayor of Imperia, 23 years after his last mayoral experience.

Arrest

On 8 May 2014, Scajola was arrested for aiding the escape of Amedeo Matacena, an ex member of parliament accused of criminal involvement with the Calabrian 'Ndrangheta, and remains in police custody.[6]

Notable statements

In June 2002 Scajola is in Cyprus talking to journalists and say: "Marco Biagi was only a jerk, only thinking about the renewal of his contract". Marco Biagi was killed by terrorists in March 2002 and Scajola was home minister. Scajola had to resign because of this sentence on 4 July 2002. Despite this, Berlusconi continued to consider him as one of the good ones.

References

1. "Italy: Berlusconi Iii Sworn In; Likely to Be Confirmed This Week". Wikileaks. 26 April 2005. Archived from the original on 23 May 2013. Retrieved 9 June 2013.
2. Sergio Rizzo, Le doppie dimissioni del ministro di sangue dc, "Corriere della sera", 10 May 2010.
3. "Scajola, le carte che accusano", La Repubblica, 30 April 2010
4. "Scajola, le nuove accuse", Corriere della Sera, 30 April 2010
5. "Cinque indimenticabili e famose gaffe dei politici italiani". Cinquecosebelle.it (in Italian). Retrieved 23 June 2018.
6. "Scajola arrestato dalla Dia: "Ha favorito la latitanza dell'ex deputato Matacena"". La Repubblica. 8 May 2014. Retrieved 8 May 2014.

External links

• Official Site (in Italian)
• Files about his parliamentary activities (in Italian): XIII, XIV, XV, XVI legislature