Marco Minniti

Marco Minniti (Italian pronunciation: [ˈmarko minˈniːti]; born 6 June 1956) is an Italian politician. A member of the Democratic Party, he served in the government of Italy as Minister of the Interior from 12 December 2016 to 1 June 2018. Previously, he was one of the most prominent councilors of former Prime Ministers Matteo Renzi and Massimo D'Alema.

Due to his policies on immigration and security, Minniti has been often criticized by left-wing intellectuals and writers, like Roberto Saviano, and labeled as a strongman. He has been sometimes nicknamed "The Lord of the Spies", due to his long-time experience in coordinating the secret services in almost all the centre-left coalition's governments. While he was in office, some political commentators described him as the most powerful man in Italy.

Early life

Minniti was born in Reggio Calabria in Southern Italy in 1956. His father was a general of the Italian Army.

Minniti stated that when he was young he wanted become an aviator of the Italian Air Force, but his mother forbade it, so at 17 years old he joined the Italian Communist Party, as a protest against his parents.

During 1970s, he graduated in philosophy at the University of Messina. In these years he met his future wife, Mariangela Sera, with whom he has two daughters.

Early political career

Minniti mature in Calabria most of his political education; during 1970s he became a member of the Italian Communist Party led by Enrico Berlinguer. In 1986 he served on the Commission for Labour's issues of the Communist Party. In 1986 he became secretary of the PCI provincial federation of Reggio Calabria.