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| Laura Boldrini | |
|---|---|
| Name | Laura Boldrini |
| Birth date | 28 April 1961 |
| Birth place | Macerata, Marche, Italy |
| Nationality | Italian |
| Occupation | Journalist, Politician, United Nations Official |
| Alma mater | Sapienza University of Rome |
Laura Boldrini is an Italian journalist, former United Nations official, and politician who served as President of the Chamber of Deputies from 2013 to 2018. She is noted for her work on humanitarian issues, refugee protection, and communications policy, and has been active within national and international debates involving migration, human rights, and media regulation.
Boldrini was born in Macerata in the Marche region and raised in Milan and Rome. She graduated from Sapienza University of Rome with a degree in law and later undertook postgraduate training in journalism at institutions linked to RAI and Italian press associations. Her early cultural influences included contacts with Italian civil society groups such as Associazione Nazionale Partigiani d'Italia and exposure to international institutions including United Nations offices in Italy.
Boldrini began her professional career as a freelance reporter and correspondent, working with media outlets including RAI, La Repubblica, and international agencies such as Reuters and Agence France-Presse. She joined the United Nations system, serving with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in postings across Africa, Asia, and the Mediterranean Sea region, where she worked on displacement crises tied to events like the Kosovo War, the Somalia conflict, and the Syrian civil war. In the UN system she collaborated with offices such as the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs and liaised with non-governmental organizations including Médecins Sans Frontières and International Rescue Committee on protection, repatriation, and resettlement programs. Her communications roles involved coordination with agencies like the European Commission and bodies such as the International Organization for Migration.
Boldrini entered Italian national politics with the Democratic Party and subsequently was elected to the Chamber of Deputies on the lists associated with the center-left coalition led by figures such as Pier Luigi Bersani and later Matteo Renzi. She became a prominent parliamentarian alongside colleagues including Guglielmo Epifani, Rosy Bindi, and Emma Bonino, and cooperated with international lawmakers from bodies such as the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe and the European Parliament on migration and human rights dossiers. During her tenure she engaged with administrations headed by prime ministers such as Enrico Letta, Matteo Renzi, and Paolo Gentiloni.
Elected President of the Chamber of Deputies in 2013, Boldrini presided over legislative sessions during Italy's VII and XVIII legislatures and worked closely with parliamentary figures including the Presidents of the Senate of the Republic (Italy), such as Pietro Grasso and Ignazio La Russa, and with Presidents of the Republic like Giorgio Napolitano and Sergio Mattarella. Her mandate covered debates on immigration law reforms, budget measures connected to the European Union fiscal framework, and ratifications of international treaties including accords involving the United Nations and NATO partnerships. As presiding officer she managed parliamentary procedures involving committees such as the Justice Commission (Italy) and the Foreign Affairs Commission (Chamber of Deputies).
Boldrini championed initiatives on asylum seeker reception, coordination with agencies such as the European Asylum Support Office and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, and supported measures to implement European directives like the Dublin Regulation reforms and EU migration policy proposals. She advocated for laws addressing gender-based violence and collaborated on bills involving the Constitution of Italy provisions, penal code reforms handled by the Ministry of Justice (Italy), and measures to combat online hate speech in cooperation with entities such as Autorità per le Garanzie nelle Comunicazioni and civil society groups including Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch. Boldrini supported parliamentary diplomacy initiatives with countries such as Libya, Tunisia, and Eritrea to address root causes of migration.
Her prominence provoked public debate and criticism from political forces including Lega Nord, Fratelli d'Italia, and media personalities associated with outlets like Il Giornale and Libero. Boldrini faced legal complaints and administrative inquiries regarding procedural decisions in the Chamber and was targeted by online harassment campaigns managed through social networks such as Facebook, Twitter, and platforms scrutinized by the Italian Data Protection Authority (Garante per la protezione dei dati personali). Several incidents prompted judicial reviews involving courts including the Corte di Cassazione and local tribunals, while civil society organizations such as Fondazione Bruno Kessler and press freedom groups monitored related freedom-of-expression issues.
Boldrini has received recognition from humanitarian and civic organizations, including honors from groups like UNHCR partner associations, awards from municipal authorities in cities such as Rome and Milan, and distinctions from Italian cultural institutions including the Accademia Nazionale dei Lincei and regional councils of Marche. International acknowledgements came from NGOs and foundations engaged in refugee protection and gender equality, which have included ceremonies attended by officials from bodies such as the Council of Europe and the European Commission.
Category:Italian politicians Category:Italian journalists Category:1961 births Category:Living people