Virginio Rognoni

Virginio Rognoni
Vice president of CSM
In office 2 August 2002 – 1 August 2006
Preceded by	Giovanni Verde
Succeeded by	Nicola Mancino
Minister of Defence
In office 27 July 1990 – 28 June 1992
Prime Minister	Giulio Andreotti
Preceded by	Mino Martinazzoli
Succeeded by	Salvo Andò
Minister of Justice
In office 1 August 1986 – 28 July 1987
Prime Minister	Bettino Craxi Amintore Fanfani
Preceded by	Mino Martinazzoli
Succeeded by	Giuliano Vassalli
Minister of the Interior
In office 13 June 1978 – 4 August 1983
Prime Minister	Giulio Andreotti Francesco Cossiga Arnaldo Forlani Giovanni Spadolini Amintore Fanfani
Preceded by	Francesco Cossiga
Succeeded by	Oscar Luigi Scalfaro
Member of the Chamber of Deputies
In office 5 June 1968 – 14 April 1994
Personal details
Born	(1924-08-05) 5 August 1924 Corsico, Lombardy, Italy
Nationality	Italian
Political party	Democratic Party (2007–present)
Other political affiliations	Christian Democracy (1960–1994) Italian People's Party (1994–2002) The Daisy (2002–2007)
Alma mater	University of Pavia Yale University
Profession	Lawyer

Virginio Rognoni (born 5 August 1924 in Corsico, province of Milan) is an Italian politician, who was a prominent member of Christian Democracy. He was several times Interior Minister, Minister of Defense and Minister of Justice. From 2002 to 2006 he was vice-president of the High Council of the Judiciary.

Biography

As a student at the historic Collegio Ghislieri, in November 1947 he obtained a degree in law from the University of Pavia. He studied at Yale University between 1949 and 1950 and also worked as a lawyer.

He began his political career in local government, serving as a city councillor (consigliere comunale) in Pavia from 1960 to 1964, and from 1964 to 1967 as deputy mayor (vicesindaco) and as assessore all’urbanistica (the member of the executive with responsibility for town planning). He then entered national politics, and was elected member of the Chamber of Deputies for seven consecutive terms (1968–1994).

He was Minister of the Interior from 1978 to 1983, of Justice (1986–1987) and Minister of Defence (1990–1992): he faced the terrorism and he solved the kidnapping of James Lee Dozier by the hand of Brgate Rosse. He was criticized by the Italian Communist Party while Minister of the Interior for failing to protect General Carlo Alberto Dalla Chiesa, who was killed on the same day in which he asked Rognoni to meet him.

From 2002 until he retired in 2006 he was vice-president of the High Council of the Judiciary (Consiglio Superiore della Magistratura).