Elsa Fornero

Elsa Fornero
Minister of Labor, Social Policies and Gender Equality
In office 16 November 2011 – 28 April 2013
Prime Minister	Mario Monti
Preceded by	Maurizio Sacconi
Succeeded by	Enrico Giovannini
Personal details
Born	7 May 1948
Nationality	Italian
Political party	Independent
Occupation	Professor

Elsa Fornero (born 7 May 1948) is an Italian politician who served as Minister of Labor, Social Policies and Gender Equality in the Monti cabinet from November 2011 to April 2013.

Career

Prior to becoming minister, Fornero was economics professor at the University of Turin.^[1] She is an expert in welfare and pensions.^[2][3] From 2000 to 2010, she worked together with the Turin Centre on the Italian pension system.^[4] She served as the director of the Center for Research on Pensions and Welfare Policies.^[4] She was also vice president of Intesa Sanpaolo bank's supervisory board.^[5] She was non executive independent director of Buzzi Unicem from 2008 to November 2011.^[6][7]

She was appointed minister of labor, social policies and gender equality on 16 November 2011, replacing Maurizio Sacconi in the post.^[3] In December 2011, shortly after her appointment, she cried publicly while she was presenting new austerity measures.^[8]

She was accused by many (journalists, media and politicians belonging to opposition parties) of acting with a snobbish attitude towards the problems of common people during the present years of economic crisis. Quite famous was her statement that a job would not nowadays be a right anymore ^[9] (while Italian Constitution mentions it as that, at the IV article)^[10] and the frequent sneaks-off when she was confronted with questions on figures on unemployment and on those issues that her reforms of the job market and pension schemes are supposed to have worsened.

References

1. Faculty webpage
2. Manasse, Paolo (17 November 2011). "The Bocconi University Coup". EconoMonitor. Retrieved 8 September 2012.
3. "Monti unveils technocratic cabinet for Italy". BBC. 16 November 2011. Retrieved 9 September 2012.
4. "Elsa Fornero, a Turin Centre friend and collaborator, appointed Italian Welfare Minister". International Training Center. Retrieved 9 September 2012.
5. Roe, Alex (17 November 2011). "March of the Technocrats: Italy's Mario Monti's Ministers". Italy Chronicles. Retrieved 8 September 2012.
6. "Buzzi Unicem SpA: New Director appointed". Buzzi Unicem. 8 March 2012. Retrieved 15 September 2012.
7. "Elsa Fornero". Bloomberg. Retrieved 15 September 2012.
8. 'Italy's Welfare Minister Elsa Fornero Cries As She Reveals Austerity Cuts' Felicity Morse Huffington Post, 5 December 2011
9. "Transcript: Italy's Labor Minister on Reforms". The Wall Street Journal. 26 June 2012. Retrieved 27 April 2013.
10. "Governo Italiano - La costituzione". Italian Government. Retrieved 27 April 2013.