Francesco Rutelli

Francesco Rutelli

Francesco Rutelli, MP (born 14 June 1954) is an Italian politician and current President of Alliance for Italy. He is a member of the Italian Senate, elected with the Democratic Party in 2008. He also chairs the "Centro per un Futuro Sostenibile" (Centre for a Sustainable Future – a bipartisan think tank on climate change and environmental issues). He is co-president of the European Democratic Party, a centrist and progressive political group, today counting approximately 20 MEPs. He has been Mayor of Rome 1994–2001, and president of the centrist party Democracy is Freedom – The Daisy 2002–2007. He was the Minister of Culture and Tourism in the cabinet of Prime Minister Romano Prodi 2006–2008. In 2008 Rutelli ran unsuccessfully for a new term as Mayor of Rome after the resignation of Walter Veltroni.