Barbara Pollastrini Italian politician Date of Birth: 30.09.1947 Country: Italy

1. Early Life and Education
2. Political Activism and Rise within the Communist Party
3. Minister for Equal Opportunities
4. Leadership Positions within the Democratic Party
5. Personal Life

Early Life and Education

Mara Carfagna was born on September 30, 1947, in Darfo Boario Terme, Italy, into an affluent family. She graduated from Bocconi University, where she wrote her thesis on Charles Fourier, and later briefly taught at the university.

Political Activism and Rise within the Communist Party

Amidst the rise of the left-wing student movement in 1968, Carfagna joined the Maoist organization Union of Italian Communists (Marxist-Leninists), known as Servire il Popolo ("Serve the People"). She led its Milanese branch before transitioning to the Italian Communist Party (PCI). By the late 1980s, she headed the PCI's Milanese organization.

Involved in the "Clean Hands" anti-corruption crackdown, Carfagna was accused in 1993 of involvement in illegal PCI funding but was acquitted in 1996. She served in the lower house of parliament, representing the Democratic Party of the Left (1992-1994) and the Leftist Democrats-Olive Tree (2001-2006).

Minister for Equal Opportunities

From 2006 to 2008, Carfagna was Minister for Equal Opportunities in the second Prodi government. She and Rosy Bindi co-authored the Dico bill (Rights and Duties of Cohabiting Couples), which aimed to regulate de facto relationships, including same-sex partnerships. The bill failed to pass before the 2008 elections.

Leadership Positions within the Democratic Party

In 2012, Carfagna won the Democratic Party's primaries in Milan and led the party's list in the parliamentary elections. At the party's national assembly in 2017, she was elected Vice-Chair of the DP under Andrea Orlando.

Personal Life

Carfagna was married to sociologist Renato Mannheimer and later to banker Pietro Modiano, Chairman of SEA, which manages Milanese airports. She underwent a hysterectomy in 1999.