In 2001, he was elected Chairman of the Deputies of National Alliance Parliamentary Group at the Chamber of Deputies. Two years later, Gianfranco Fini, President of the National Alliance, appointed Mr. La Russa First Vice-President of National Alliance.

Between November 2004 and July 2005, Mr. La Russa again served as Chairman of the Deputies of National Alliance, a position he held during the following Parliament.

On May 8, 2008, Mr. La Russa was appointed Minister of Defense and, three days later, became the Acting President of the National Alliance Party.

Mr. Ignazio La Russa is married and has three sons: Geronimo, Lorenzo and Leonardo.

HON IGNAZIO LA RUSSA
Minister of Defense
Republic of Italy

Ignazio La Russa was born in Paternò, near Catania, Sicily, on July 18, 1947. After attending college in the Swiss-German Canton of St.Gallen, Mr. La Russa obtained a postgraduate degree in Law at the University of Pavia.

When he was 13, his family moved to Milan, where his father was a practicing lawyer.

After serving as a Regular Army Reserve Officer, he has worked as a criminal defense lawyer at the Supreme Court of Cassation.

Over the last years, as a result of his professional background and balanced attitude towards sensitive judicial issues, Mr. La Russa acted as spokesman for the Right on justice-related subjects. Also of note is his commitment with respect to other significant issues, namely security of citizens, immigration, reduction of the tax burden, safeguarding national identity, and the liberal professions.

Mr. La Russa has shown a considerable interest in political activism since his student years.

In 1985, he was elected Regional Councilor for the Region of Lombardy.

In 1992, he was elected a Member of Parliament (MP) to both the Senate of the Republic and the Chamber of Deputies and chose to serve in the Chamber of Deputies and was reelected in 1994 and was appointed Deputy Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies.

In 1996, Mr. La Russa was appointed Chairman of the Committee on Parliamentary Immunity of the Chamber of Deputies, an office he held for the entire 13th Parliament.