Maurizio Gasparri

Maurizio Gasparri (born 18 July 1956) is an Italian politician.

Gasparri was born in Rome to parents of Campanian origins.

He was educated at the Liceo Torquato Tasso in the city.

In his civilian life he worked as a journalist, becoming editor-in-chief of the Secolo d'Italia, the daily paper of the post-fascist Italian Social Movement (MSI).

Gasparri was formerly a member of the MSI - where he was deputy secretary of the movement's Youth Front (Fronte della Gioventù; FdG) throughout the mid-1980s - and the National Alliance (AN).

From 2001 to 2005 he served as the Minister of Communications in the Berlusconi II Cabinet.

It was during his time in this role that he pushed for controversial amendments to the country's telecommunications legislation, known collectively as the legge Gasparri.

Following a weak showing in the regional elections of 2005, he was replaced in Berlusconi's third Cabinet by Mario Landolfi.

Alongside Ignazio La Russa, Gasparri was considered a leader of the AN mainstream faction Destra Protagonista.

During the XVI legislature (2008–13), he was president of The People of Freedom (PdL) bloc in the Senate.

He is against jus soli, same-sex marriage and LGBT adoption.

In the wake of Barack Obama's election in November 2008, Gasparri declared on RAI that "with Obama in the White House, perhaps al-Qaeda is happier".

He was heavily criticized for his comments by the Italian Democratic Party.