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{{short description|Italian politician (born 1950)}}{{use dmy dates|date=August 2023}}

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|birth_place = Catania, Italy|nationality = |alma_mater = |profession = Doctor|children = |spouse = |residence = Catania, SicilyMovement for the Autonomies>MPA (since 2005)Christian Democracy (Italy)>DC (1972–1994)Christian Democratic Centre (1994–2002)Union of Christian and Centre Democrats>UDC (2002–2005)}}Raffaele Lombardo {{IPA-it|raffaˈɛːle lomˈbardo}}; (born 29 October 1950]) is an Italian politician. Born in Catania, he was Sicily's president and former member of the European Parliament for the Italian Islands with the Movement for the Autonomies, and has sat on the European Parliament's Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs.In 2005, Lombardo split off from the Union of Christian and Centre Democrats (UDC) to form the autonomist Sicilian-based Movement for Autonomy (MpA), after he had accused the UDC leadership of being too centralist. In 2008, he was elected as president of Sicily, obtaining over 65% of the regional votes and defeating Anna Finocchiaro of the Democratic Party (PD). On 31 July 2012, he resigned from the presidency because he was under investigation for external contribution with mafia and pork-barrelling, as it appears that he had relationships with some figure of Cosa Nostra. Nevertheless, in the following elections he managed to have his 23 years old son Toti elected in the Sicilian Regional Assembly. On 19 February 2014, he was sentenced to six years and eight months in prison for mafia association.WEB,weblink Ex-governor of Sicily convicted of Mafia ties, gets jail term; another ex-gov already in jail, Fox News, 20 March 2015, In 2022, he was acquitted in the second appeal trial;NEWS,weblink Sicilia, l'ex governatore Lombardo assolto dall'accusa di concorso esterno e corruzione elettorale nel secondo processo d'Appello, Il Fatto Quotidiano, it, 7 January 2022, the acquittal was confirmed by Italy's Supreme Court of Cassation in 2023.WEB, 2023-08-28, Cassazione: manca la prova del patto fra Lombardo e la mafia, respinto appello della procura generale,weblink 2023-08-30, la Repubblica, it,

Education

• 1968: Secondary school-leaving certificate in classical subjects
• Graduate in medicine and surgery
• Specialisation in forensic psychiatry
• Private practice
• 1977: Provincial secretary of the Catania Youth DC
• Regional secretary of the Christian Democratic Centre (CCD) for Sicily
• Member of Catania Municipal Council for eight years
• Several terms as Catania Municipal Councillor with responsibility for budget, planning, health, cultural heritage, youth issues, and taxation

Career

• 1986−1994: Member of the Sicilian Regional Assembly with Christian Democracy (DC)
• 1991−1992: Assessor for Local Authorities of the Sicilian Regional Executive (resigned for enquiries)
• 1999−2008: Member of the European Parliament with CCD
• 2003−2008: President of the Province of Catania with UDC
• 2008−2012: President of Sicily with MPA

References

{{Reflist}}

External links

• Raffaele Lombardo's official website
• weblink" title="archive.today/20070314005547weblink">European Parliament biography of Raffaele Lombardo
• {{Declaration of financial interests of the 6th term|4472_28-09-2004.PDF|it}}

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