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Alessandra Mussolini

Alessandra Mussolini
Born 30 December 1962 (1962-12-30) (age 47)
Rome, Italy
Nationality Italian
Political party MSI-DN (1992–1995)
National Alliance (1995–2003)
Social Action (2003–)
Spouse(s) Mauro Floriani (1989 to date)
Children 4
Profession Politician
Religion Roman Catholic

Alessandra Mussolini (born 30 December 1962) is an Italian politician, the granddaughter of Benito Mussolini, and previously an actress and model. She is the leader and founder of the national conservative political party Social Action; From 2004 until 2008, Mussolini also served as Member of the European Parliament, and has since been a member of the Chamber of Deputies, the lower house of the Italian Parliament.

Some of Mussolini's noted stances are in regards to social views on women's and children's rights and role within both the family unit and society in general.[1]

Contents

Personal life

Alessandra Mussolini was born in Rome, the daughter of Romano Mussolini, the fourth son of the Fascist leader Benito Mussolini, and Anna Maria Villani Scicolone (born 11 May 1938, Rome). The actress Sophia Loren is her maternal aunt.

From 1976 to 1980 she went to high school at the American Overseas School of Rome. She graduated in 1986 from Università di Rimini, where she got her Master of Arts in film management.

She married customs police officer Mauro Floriani on 28 October 1989.[2] They have three children, Caterina, Clarissa, and Romano Floriani called after his grandfather; he has taken his mother's name, Mussolini. The children bear their father's surname, but she went through a complex legal process to allow them to attach her last name to theirs, and has campaigned for Italian law to be changed to allow all children to take their mother's last name should they so wish.[3]

Entertainment career

Cover of her album Amore, released in 1982.

Mussolini was taken under the wing of her aunt Sophia Loren for a while and started a career as an actress in the Italian language film industry during the 1970s. A Special Day (1977), in which she had a minor role as "Maria Luisa", won an American Golden Globe Award for Best Foreign Language Film and was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film.

During 1982, Mussolini released a pop music album of romantic songs under the title Amore on Alfa Records, the album was only released in Japan and has since become somewhat of a collectors item.[4] Mussolini also appeared as a glamour model,[5] including on the cover of two European editions of Playboy, in Italy (August 1983) and Germany (November 1983).[6][7] "When you are an actress, you are dealing with the body. Every actress does topless and stuff like this; you have to.", she has said.[1]

Mussolini continued as an actress into the 1980s. Some of the films she featured in were made for Italian television, however she still acted in standard cinematic films, such as The Assisi Underground where she played a nun, the movie focused on the Roman Catholic Church rescuing Italian Jews from the Nazis in 1943.[8] She starred in her final film in 1990 and then left the film industry to continue studying after a producer asked her to change her name.[1]

Political career

In 1992, she was elected to parliament in a Naples constituency as a member of the neofascist Movimento Sociale Italiano (MSI). She was favorable to the idea of an alliance between MSI and Forza Italia with a view to the elections of 1994, but she opposed the liquidation of the MSI and the creation of the new National Alliance.

She later was a candidate for the post of mayor of Naples, but was defeated by Antonio Bassolino. Her relations with Gianfranco Fini, leader of the Alleanza Nazionale, never were very good, she announced; she then withdrew later, her resignation due to differences with him at least once.[9] This antagonism was exacerbated when Fini criticized some aspects of fascism, such as its antisemitism. She unsuccessfully challenged him for leadership of the party when he withdrew support for Benito Mussolini in a television interview in January 2002.[10][11]

Mussolini suddenly left National Alliance on 28 November 2003, following the visit of party leader and the Deputy Prime Minister Gianfranco Fini to Israel, where he described fascism as "the absolute evil" as he apologised for Italy's role as an Axis Power during the Second World War.[12] Mussolini however defended the right of Israel to exist and declared that the world "should beg forgiveness of Israel".[13]

Following her resignation, Mussolini formed her Social Action party, originally named "Freedom of Action", and organized a far right coalition named Social Alternative. That was a surprising move, as Mussolini, during her political career, had always taken progressive stances on many issues, including abortion,[14] artificial insemination,[15][16] gay rights[17] and civil unions.[18] She has been an outspoken "feminist"[19] and has been described by conservative commentators as a "socialist"[20] and a "left-winger".[21]

On 22 July 2004 she said in Strasbourg:

I know the English have a sense of humor about themselves, but I am from Naples and I can say that we women do know how to cook and clean the refrigerator and even be politicians, while perhaps Godfrey Bloom does not know either how to clean the refrigerator or how to be a politician.[22]

In March 2005, Mussolini was banned by a local court from regional elections held the following month for presenting fraudulent signatures.[23] "This is an affront to democracy, if they're going to exclude the Social Alternative they will have to exclude all the parties, because all the signature lists are false", Mussolini told Reuters.[24] Mussolini went on a hunger strike to protest the decision.[25] However, at the end of the month Italy's top administrative court, the Council of State, annulled the decision and she stood for election.[26]

In 2006 she responded to claims by the transgender Italian M.P. candidate Vladimir Luxuria that she was a 'fascist' with the line "Meglio fascista che frocio" ("It is better to be a fascist than a faggot").[27]

In November 2007, remarks by Mussolini triggered the collapse of the far-right Identity, Tradition, Sovereignty grouping within the European Parliament.[28] Mussolini declared that all Romanians were criminals in remarks regarding immigration policy. This prompted delegates from the Greater Romania Party to quit the group, bringing the group below the minimum number of members to qualify as a caucus and receive Parliament funding.

Mussolini was a member of following European Parliament committees and delegations:

Mussolini also is an Honorary Member of the Italian Red Cross.[citation needed]

After the Italian general elections of April 2008, Mussolini serves as a member of the Italian parliament within Silvio Berlusconi's alliance of right wing parties, The People of Freedom.[citation needed]

Filmography

  • Bianco, rosso e... (1972)
  • A Special Day (1977)
  • Il Caso Pupetta Maresca (1982) (TV film), with Alessandra Mussolini as Pupetta Maresca
  • Il Tassinaro (1983)
  • Qualcosa di biondo (1984)
  • The Assisi Underground (1985)
  • Ferragosto O.K. (1986) (TV film)
  • Noi uomini duri (1987)
  • Vincere per vincere (1988) (TV film)
  • Sabato, domenica e lunedì (1990) (TV film)
  • Ha-Derech L'Ein Harod (1990)

Notes and references

  1. ^ a b c ""Alessandra Mussolini: Politician in stilettos"". The Independent. 8 February 2004. http://news.independent.co.uk/people/profiles/article67581.ece. Retrieved 2008-01-03.  Also archived at FindArticles.com as "Mussolini In Stilettos" by Susan Chenery.
  2. ^ "Chronicle" by Nadine Brozan, The New York Times, 15 November 1994.
  3. ^ "Mussolini calls for new naming law" by Malcolm Moore, The Daily Telegraph, 31 May 2006
  4. ^ "Alessandra Mussolini - Amore (1982)". Orrore a 33 Giri.com. 13 April 2007. http://www.orrorea33giri.com/2007/04/alessandra-mussolini-amore-1982.html. Retrieved 2008-01-03. 
  5. ^ Jan Repa (9 January 2004). ""Italy's post-fascists to regroup"". BBC News. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/3382151.stm. Retrieved 2008-01-03. 
  6. ^ "Playboy Italy - Covers of 1983". PBCovers.com. August 1983. http://www.pbcovers.com/pbcovers.php?c=it&y=1983&cover=it_198308. Retrieved 2008-01-03. 
  7. ^ "Playboy Germany - Covers of 1983". PBCovers.com. November 1983. http://www.pbcovers.com/pbcovers.php?c=de&y=1983&cover=de_198311. Retrieved 2008-01-03. 
  8. ^ "The Assisi Underground (1985)". IMDB.com. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0088746/. Retrieved 2008-01-03. 
  9. ^ "A Mussolini Quits Rightist Party in Italy" The New York Times, November 15, 1996.
  10. ^ "Alessandra Mussolini seeks leadership of Italy's far Right" by Bruce Johnston, The Daily Telegraph, 26 January 2002
  11. ^ "Mussolini to challenge party boss", CNN, 25 January 2002
  12. ^ "La Mussolini lascia An «Gianfranco ha tradito»". http://archiviostorico.corriere.it/2003/novembre/28/Mussolini_lascia_Gianfranco_tradito__co_0_031128096.shtml. Retrieved 2008-07-08. 
  13. ^ "Mussolini: World should 'beg forgiveness of Israel'". http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/pages/ShArt.jhtml?itemNo=364285&contrassID=1&subContrassID=1&sbSubContrassID=0&listSrc=Y. Retrieved 2008-07-08. 
  14. ^ "la Mussolini: macche' omicidio cosi' si criminalizzano le donne". http://archiviostorico.corriere.it/1994/agosto/11/Mussolini_macche_omicidio_cosi_criminalizzano_co_0_9408115537.shtml. Retrieved 2008-07-08. 
  15. ^ "Embrioni, da Mussolini a Melandri e' ancora polemica". http://archiviostorico.corriere.it/1997/febbraio/04/Embrioni_Mussolini_Melandri_ancora_polemica_co_0_9702048957.shtml. Retrieved 2008-07-08. 
  16. ^ "Fecondazione, il Parlamento vara le regole". http://archiviostorico.corriere.it/2004/febbraio/11/Fecondazione_Parlamento_vara_regole_co_9_040211027.shtml. Retrieved 2008-07-08. 
  17. ^ "Destra e gay, pace vicina. Alessandra Mussolini: tra loro ho molti amici". http://archiviostorico.corriere.it/1995/gennaio/06/Destra_gay_pace_vicina_Alessandra_co_0_9501062501.shtml. Retrieved 2008-07-08.  See also: "Alessandra: per una volta sono vicina alla sinistra". http://archiviostorico.corriere.it/1996/febbraio/09/Alessandra_per_una_volta_sono_co_8_9602091092.shtml. Retrieved 2008-07-08.  and "La Mussolini piace ai gay e mette in imbarazzo An". http://archiviostorico.corriere.it/1997/febbraio/08/Mussolini_piace_gay_mette_imbarazzo_co_0_9702088459.shtml. Retrieved 2008-07-08. 
  18. ^ "Turco-Mussolini, Thelma e Louise della politica «Tanta invidia ma andiamo avanti lo stesso»". http://archiviostorico.corriere.it/2003/ottobre/24/Turco_Mussolini_Thelma_Louise_della_co_0_031024128.shtml. Retrieved 2008-07-08.  See also: "Raddoppiano le coppie di fatto Polo contro la proposta Mussolini". http://archiviostorico.corriere.it/2003/ottobre/21/Raddoppiano_coppie_fatto_Polo_contro_co_0_031021030.shtml. Retrieved 2008-07-08. 
  19. ^ "Alessandra Mussolini: ora serve un nuovo femminismo". http://archiviostorico.corriere.it/2003/luglio/08/Alessandra_Mussolini_ora_serve_nuovo_co_0_030708057.shtml. Retrieved 2008-07-08. 
  20. ^ "Buttafuoco: Mussolini, vattene con l' Ulivo Alessandra: triste non sapere dove buttarsi". http://archiviostorico.corriere.it/1996/maggio/31/Buttafuoco_Mussolini_vattene_con_Ulivo_co_0_96053111728.shtml. Retrieved 2008-07-08. 
  21. ^ "An s' interroga su Alessandra «E' di destra o femminista?»". http://archiviostorico.corriere.it/2005/marzo/25/interroga_Alessandra_destra_femminista__co_9_050325040.shtml. Retrieved 2008-07-08. 
  22. ^ Quote in the original language Italian: "So che gli Inglesi hanno il senso dell’autoironia, ma io sono napoletana e posso dire che noi donne sappiamo cucinare e pulire i frigoriferi e facciamo anche politica, mentre forse Godfrey Bloom non sa né pulire i frigoriferi, né fare politica."
  23. ^ "Alessandra Mussolini barred from election because of faked signatures" by John Hooper, The Guardian, March 14, 2005
  24. ^ "Mussolini’s granddaughter barred from vote", Reuters, March 13, 2005, on Tiscali News
  25. ^ "Hunger Strike By Mussolini", Associated Press, March 15, 2005, on CBS News
  26. ^ "Q&A: Italy regional elections", BBC News, 1 April 2005
  27. ^ "Mussolini a Vladimir Luxuria 'Meglio fascista che frocio'", La Repubblica, 9 March 2006 (Italian)
  28. ^ "Xenophobia destroys EU's ultra-rightwing MEP group", The Guardian, November 15, 2007

External links

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