Emilio Colombo

Early life and education

Colombo was born in Potenza, Basilicata, on 11 April 1920. He grew up, along with his six brothers, in a middle-class family; his father, Angelo Colombo, was a public administration official, while his mother, Rosa Tordella, was a housewife.

In 1935, he founded the first local section of Catholic Action (AC), a widespread Catholic association and one of the few non-fascist organizations, admitted by the regime of Benito Mussolini. In 1937, Colombo became the president of Potenza's Catholic Action and a member of the National Council of Catholic Action's Youth. In the same year, he obtained the classical lyceum diploma at the high school entitled to Quintus Horatius Flaccus in Potenza.

In 1941, Colombo graduated in law at the Sapienza University of Rome, with a thesis on canon law. On 1 August 1942, he was enrolled and took part in the World War II. In September 1943, after the armistice, Colombo returned to Basilicata, starting his political commitment based on anti-fascist and Christian democratic principles. From 1944 to 1947, he was appointed general secretary of Azione Cattolica's youth wing.

Political career

Colombo entered politics as a member of the Christian Democracy (DC) party in 1943. In the 1946 Italian general election, Colombo was elected to the Constituent Assembly of Italy with nearly 21,000 votes, becoming one of the youngest members of the Italian Parliament. He was elected for the constituency of Potenza–Matera, which would remain his stronghold for all his political career.

After two years, in the 1948 Italian general election, Colombo was re-elected in the country's Chamber of Deputies for his constituency with more than 43,000 votes. From May 1948 to July 1951, he was appointed undersecretary to the Ministry of Agriculture and Forests in the 5th and 6th governments of Alcide De Gasperi.

During these years, Colombo was involved in a successful mediation in Calabria in 1949 during clashes for the occupation of the lands by peasants. He also collaborated with Minister Antonio Segni in the approval of the agrarian reform. The land reform, approved by the parliament in October 1950, was financed in part by the funds of the Marshall Plan launched by the United States in 1947 and considered by some scholars as the most important reform of the entire post-war period. The reform proposed, through forced expropriation, the distribution of land to agricultural laborers, thus making them small entrepreneurs and no longer subject to the large landowner. If in some ways the reform had this beneficial result, for others it significantly reduced the size of farms, effectively removing any possibility of transforming them into advanced businesses. This negative element was mitigated and in some cases eliminated by forms of cooperatives.

Prime Minister of Italy

A number of progressive reforms were introduced during Colombo's time as prime minister. A housing reform law began on 22 October 1971.

Between 1977 and 1979, Colombo was the president of the European Parliament. From 1980 to 1983 and again from 1992 to 1993, he was the foreign minister of Italy.

Later life

In 2003, then president Carlo Azeglio Ciampi bestowed Italy's highest political honour on him by nominating him senator for life.

Personal life

In November 2003, Colombo admitted to having used cocaine for therapeutic purposes over a 12- to 18-month period. He died in Rome on 24 June 2013 at the age of 93.

Honours and awards

• France: Grand Officier of the Legion of Honour
• Iran: Commemorative Medal of the 2,500 year celebration of the Persian Empire
• Italy: Knight of Grand Cross of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic
• Italy: Grand Cross of the Sacred Military Constantinian Order of Saint George
• EU: Gold Medal of the Jean Monnet Foundation for Europe, 2011

Electoral history

References

References

1. [https://books.google.com/books?id=tZYrDwAAQBAJ&dq=Emilio+Colombo+2013&pg=PA228 Profile of Emilio Colombo]
2. [https://multimedia.europarl.europa.eu/it/emilio-colombo_4203_pk Emilio Colombo – Multimedia Center], ''European Parliament''
3. [http://www.senato.it/leg/16/BGT/Schede/Attsen/00000638.htm Page at Senate website] {{in lang. it
4. [https://www.centenarioemiliocolombo.it/emilio-colombo/ Emilio Colombo], ''Centenario Emilio Colombo''
5. "Emilio Colombo". Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
6. (25 June 2013). "Former Italian prime minister Emilio Colombo dead at 93". NewsDaily.
7. [https://elezionistorico.interno.gov.it/candidati.php?tpel=A&dtel=02/06/1946&tpa=I&tpe=I&lev0=0&levsut0=0&lev1=27&levsut1=1&ne1=27&es0=S&es1=S&ms=S&ne=27&nlg=1&ts=C&ccp=1 Elezioni 1946: Circoscrizione Potenza– Matera], ''Ministero dell'Interno''
8. [https://elezionistorico.interno.gov.it/candidati.php?tpel=C&dtel=18/04/1948&tpa=I&tpe=I&lev0=0&levsut0=0&lev1=26&levsut1=1&ne1=26&es0=S&es1=S&ms=S&ne=26&nlg=1&ts=C&ccp=1 Elezioni 1948: Circoscrizione Potenza– Matera], ''Ministero dell'Interno''
9. [https://www.governo.it/i-governi-dal-1943-ad-oggi/i-legislatura-8-maggio-1948-4-aprile-1953/governo-de-gasperi-v/3228 Governo De Gasperi V], ''governo.it''
10. [https://www.governo.it/i-governi-dal-1943-ad-oggi/i-legislatura-8-maggio-1948-4-aprile-1953/governo-de-gasperi-vi/3227 Governo De Gasperi VI], ''governo.it''
11. Corrado Barberis, ''Teoria e storia della riforma agraria'', [[Florence]], Vallecchi, 1957
12. [https://agriregionieuropa.univpm.it/it/content/article/31/52/riforma-agraria-e-modernizzazione-rurale-italia-nel-ventesimo-secolo Riforma agraria e modernizzazione rurale in Italia nel ventesimo secolo]
13. [https://www.jstor.org/stable/23719889?seq=1 Alcide De Gasperi tra riforma agraria e guerra fredda (1948–1950)]
14. Growth to Limits: The Western European Welfare States Since World War II Volume 4 edited by Peter Flora p. 500
15. Scalfari, Eugenio. (27 February 2007). "Casini dica Dico". [[L'Espresso]].
16. Hooper, John. (27 November 2003). "Former PM tells of regular cocaine use". The Age.
17. (25 June 2013). "Former Italian prime minister Emilio Colombo dead at 93". Reuters.
18. (24 June 2013). "È morto Emilio Colombo: aveva 93 anni L'Italia dice addio all'ultimo padre costituente". [[la Repubblica]].