Francesco De Martino

Francesco de Martino (31 May 1907 – 18 November 2002) was an Italian jurist, politician, lifetime senator (1991–2002) and former Vice President of the Council of Ministers. He was considered by many to be the conscience of the Italian Socialist Party.[1]

Not to be confused with Francesco De Martini.

Francesco De Martino
Senator for Life
In office
1 June 1991 – 18 November 2002
Appointed byFrancesco Cossiga
Deputy Prime Minister of Italy
In office
12 December 1968 – 5 July 1969
Prime MinisterMariano Rumor
Preceded byPietro Nenni
Succeeded byPaolo Emilio Taviani
In office
6 August 1970 – 15 January 1972
Prime MinisterEmilio Colombo
Preceded byPaolo Emilio Taviani
Succeeded byMario Tanassi
Member of the Senate of the Republic
In office
12 July 1983 – 1 July 1987
Member of the Chamber of Deputies
In office
8 May 1948 – 12 July 1983
Personal details
Born(1907-05-31)31 May 1907
Naples, Campania, Italy
Died18 November 2002(2002-11-18) (aged 95)
Naples, Campania, Italy
Political partyPd'A (1943–1946)
PSI (1946–1994)
DS (1998–2002)
ChildrenGuido De Martino

Biography

De Martino was born on 31 May 1907 in Naples, Italy.[2] He graduated from the law school Federico II in Naples, and, under the guidance of Enrico De Nicola, embarked on the study of law and economics and became a distinguished scholar of Roman law.[3][4]

Emeritus Professor of law at the law school Federico II in Naples, he published several tomes, among which, the History of the Roman Constitution (in six tomes, which was compared for his monumental significance to the "Staatsrecht" by Theodor Mommsen) and the Economic History of Ancient Rome; his publications were translated in English, Spanish, German, French and Chinese.

He first joined the Action Party (an anti-fascist political party) in 1943, and then joined the reconstituted Socialist party in 1945.

At the first elections of the new Italian Republic in 1948, he was elected to Parliament with the Popular Front alliance of communists and socialists.[2][5] He soon won the confidence of party leader Pietro Nenni, to whom he became vice secretary. In 1959 Nenni would entrust De Mortino with leading the socialist magazine Mondoperaio.[6]

De Martino served as Deputy Prime Minister during the Rumor I, Rumor III, and Colombo governments.[7]

De Martino was for two times the PSI's candidate to the presidential elections, in 1971 and 1978. This time, however, the more popular socialist, the former Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies, Sandro Pertini was elected. De Martino candidacy was tarnished when the family paid a 1bn lire ransom for his release his son Guido who was kidnapped by the Camorra for 40 days.[8] The kidnappers were eventually captured, but those behind them were never discovered.[1]

In 1976, he was ousted as party secretary by Bettino Craxi when the PSI lost in the elections falling below 10% for the second time. De Martino became the scapegoat, and Craxi became Italy's first socialist Prime Minister in 1983.

Nonetheless, he continued to be elected to the Parliament, and, on 1 June 1991 was appointed senator for life.[3][5] After this appointment he joined the post-communist Democrats of the Left.[8] He was dismayed by the demise of the historical socialist party after the corruption under Craxi.

He resumed his academic career at the law school Federico II, where his secular funeral was celebrated in the presence of the President of Italy, Carlo Azeglio Ciampi.

De Martino died in Naples on 18 November 2002.[3] He is survived by his children, Armando, Guido, Antonino, Elisa and Laura.

References
  1. Lane, John Francis (22 November 2002). "Obituary: Francesco De Martino". the Guardian. Retrieved 16 November 2020.
  2. "Francesco De Martino / Deputati / Camera dei deputati - Portale storico". storia.camera.it. Italian Parliament. Retrieved 16 November 2020.
  3. "Francesco De Martino, il socialismo e il futuro della sinistra". Avanti (in Italian). 21 November 2019. Retrieved 17 November 2020.
  4. Spini, Valdo (15 December 2015). "Storico e socialista rigoroso, Arfè a novant'anni dalla nascita". la Repubblica (in Italian). Retrieved 17 November 2020.
  5. "senato.it - Scheda di attività di Francesco DE MARTINO - XIV Legislatura". www.senato.it. Italian Senate. Retrieved 16 November 2020.
  6. TEDESCO, RAFFAELE (26 October 2020). "La storia di Mondoperaio vista dallo storico Giovanni Scirocco". Avanti (in Italian). Retrieved 16 November 2020.
  7. "Francesco De Martino / Deputati / Camera dei deputati - Portale storico". storia.camera.it. Italian Parliament. Retrieved 16 November 2020.
  8. Urbani, Ilaria (7 April 2016). "Al Vomero una piazza per Francesco De Martino". la Repubblica (in Italian). Retrieved 17 November 2020.
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