Francesco Rutelli
Vice-Premiere and Minister of Culture
As Vice-Premiere, Francesco Rutelli is also responsible for tourism policy. Born in Rome in 1954, he is married to Barbara Palombelli, journalist. They have four children. He was elected in 2002 and confirmed in 2004 as President of the Democrazia è Libertà – La Margherita party. He is co-president of the European Democractic Party. He was elected as a member of the Italian Parliament in 1983, 1987, 1992, 2001 and 2006. In April 1993 he was appointed Minister of the Environment and Urban Areas in the Carlo Azeglio Ciampi administration and he resigned after just three days. In 2001 he was proposed as prime minister by the Ulivo party in the political elections which Silvio Berlusconi won. He was elected to the European Parliament for the 1999-2004 term. In December 1993 he was the first Mayor of Rome to be elected directly by the citizens. He was re-elected in the Italian capital in 1997, with more than 61% of the votes, equal to over 990,000 citizen votes. During the first Prodi administration he headed the special commission for organizing the Grand Jubilee of 2000.