Raffaele Lombardo

Raffaele Lombardo [raffaˈɛːle lomˈbardo]; (born on 29 October 1950 in Catania) is a convicted criminal, formerly an Italian politician who was President of Sicily and former Member of the European Parliament for Islands with the Movement for the Autonomies and has sat on the European Parliament's Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs.

Contents

• Education
• Career
• References

In 2005 he split off from the Union of Christian and Centre Democrats (UDC) to form the autonomist Sicilian-based Movement for Autonomy, after he had accused the UDC leadership of being too centralist. On 2008 he was elected as President of Sicily, obtaining over 65% of the regional votes and defeating Anna Finocchiaro of the Democratic Party. 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.

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 Centre Democrats (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, taxation

Career

1986-1994: Member of the Sicilian Regional Assembly with Christian Democracy

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