Mario Capanna

Mario Capanna as student leader (1968)

Mario Capanna (born 10 January 1945) is an Italian politician and writer.

Biography

File:Mario Capanna.jpg

Mario Capanna

Born in Città di Castello, he studied Philosophy at the Catholic University of Milan, and was the leader of the Italian students' movement in the late 1960s and early 1970s. In 1969 he was attacked by exponents of the neo-Fascist Movimento Sociale Italiano.

In 1975 he entered politics, adhering to the Proletarian Unity Party (PdUP), which later merged with Proletarian Democracy (DP). Capanna was charismatic leader of the latter until June 27, 1987, when he resigned, succeeded by Giovanni Russo Spena.

Capanna had been elected for the DP to the Italian Chamber of Deputies (1983–1987), and to the European Parliament (1979).

In 1989 he broke away from the DP to form the Rainbow Greens.

Capanna is currently President of the Committee for Genetical Rights, an independent association devoted to information on Biotechnology.

Selected works

• Formidabili quegli anni (1988)
• Arafat (1989)
• Speranze (1994)
• Il fiume della prepotenza (1996)
• Lettera a mio figlio sul '68 (1998)
• L'Italia viva (2000)
• Verrò da te (2003)

References

Italian Chamber of Deputies
Preceded by Title jointly held	Member of Parliament for Milan Legislature: IX 1983 – 1987	Succeeded by Title jointly held
European Parliament
Preceded by None, Parliament established	Member of European Parliament for Northwest Italy Legislature: I 1979 – 1984	Succeeded by Title jointly held