San Marino - Fiorenzo Stolfi
Fiorenzo Stolfi
Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs
(pronounced "fee-or-ENZ-oh STOLE-fee")
"I think the European Union has made enormous steps in recent years regarding the economy and cohesion between the countries, but the same cannot be said for foreign policy."
The Republic of San Marino is a landlocked state on the Italian peninsula about 225 km (140 mi) north of Rome and between the Italian regions of Emilia-Romagna and Marchesa. Situated on the slopes of Mount Titano, San Marino claims to be the oldest republic in Europe. Its total area comprises just over 60 sq km (20 sq mi). Approximately 27,730 citizens made up the Sanmarinese population in 2002. Until 2002, San Marino principally used the Italian lira as its currency; when Italy replaced its currency with the euro, San Marino also adopted the euro. Since 1971 the government has issued its own coins (in denominations of one scudi and two scudi). Vatican currency is also legal tender. Italian is the official language, but English and French are also spoken.
The ethnicity of the Sanmarinese derives from a mixture of Mediterranean, Alpine, Adriatic, and Nordic ethnic types. Most of the citizens are Roman Catholic. The country's ethnic composition is 80% Sanmarinese and 20% Italian. San Marino exports wine, woolen goods, furniture, and ceramics. The international sale of San Marino postage stamps and tourism (with an estimated 3 million visitors annually) constitute the largest shares of government revenue.
Political Background
San Marino is a republic, dating its sovereignty back to its founding in the fourth century by a Christian stone cutter named Marinas who fled persecution in Dalmatia. With the establishment of a monastery in the ninth century, the community grew and acquired statutes of government by the twelfth century. The present government structure is based on statutes that date to 1660. Papal recognition in 1631 officially gave San Marino independent status.
The Grand and General Council (Consiglio Grande e Generale) of 60 members exercises legislative power and is elected every five years by direct vote of all citizens over the age of 18. Every six months two members of the council are nominated to act as captains-regent; they preside over meetings of the Grand and General Council, as well as the Congress of State (the 12-member cabinet) but their functions are largely honorary. The office of secretary of state for foreign affairs has come to represent many of the functions of a prime minister. The secretary of state for foreign affairs has responsibilities that supersede the authority of the captains-regent, but the captains-regent are personally answerable for the mandate given them by the Grand and General Council. The captains-regent must also respond to citizen proposals and requests presented to them (traditionally on the Sunday after 1 April and 1 October in any given year). Full executive power rests in and is shared by members of the Congress of State (cabinet) nominated by the Grand and General Council: the three secretaries (foreign affairs, internal affairs, and finance), the two captains-regent, and the seven ministers heading various administrative departments.
Although San Marino has no written constitution per se, a 1926 electoral law serves some of the functions of a constitution. Women voted for the first time in the 1964 elections.
Although legally sovereign, San Marino's government and political parties are influenced by Italian politics and political parties that are counterparts to those in San Marino. The largest party in the Grand and General Council is the San Marino Christian Democratic Party (Partito Democratico Cristiano Sammarinese — PDCS). Other influential parties include the San Marino Socialist Party (Partito Socialista Sanmarinese—PSS); the San Marino Progressive Democratic Party (Partito Progressista Democratico Sammarinese—PPDS, formerly the Communist Party—PCS); the San Marino Popular Alliance of Democrats (Alleanza Popolare dei Democratici Sammarinese—APDS); Socialists for Reform (Socialisti per le Riforme—SR); Ideas in Movement (IM); and Communist Refoundation (Refondazione Comunista—RC). The San Marino government will pay for part of the expenses for Sanmarinese living abroad to fly home to vote and 80% of the population turns out on election day.
Personal Background
Fiorenzo Stolfi was born on 11 March 1956. He took a law degree at the University of Urbino. In addition to his positions in government, he served as a vice governor of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) from 1993 to 2000, as San Marino's governor to the World Bank from 2001 to 2002, and as San Marino's governor to the IMF beginning in June 2002. He became secretary of state for foreign affairs of the republic, the de facto leader of the country, on 17 December 2002. He is married to Dorina Luana; they have two sons.
Rise to Power
Stolfi was first elected to the Grand and General Council in 1983 and was reelected in 1988, 1993, 1998, and 2001. He served as Minister of Tourism, Commerce, Sport, and Agriculture from 1983–86; as Minister of Industry, Handicrafts, and Economic Cooperation from 1992–98; as Minister of Industry, Handicrafts, Economic Cooperation, Post and
Telecommunications from 1998–2001; as Minister of Internal Affairs, Civil Protection, and Post and Telecommunications from July 2001–June 2002; and as Minister of Finance and Budget, and Economic Programming, in relationship with the Philatelic-Numismatic Association, and Transport, from June 2002–December 2002. He was named Secretary of State for Foreign and Political Affairs on 17 December 2002, with 40% of the legislative vote in a cabinet reshuffle.
Politically, Stolfi served as General Secretary of the Unitary Socialist Party (1988–90; as Co-Secretary of the San Marino Socialist Party (1990–92); and, as of May 2003, as a member of the Socialist Party secretariat (1992–).
Leadership
Upon being elected Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, Stolfi set to work to reaffirm San Marino's close relationship with Italy. In February 2003, Stolfi met with the Italian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Franco Frattini, to discuss issues of current international affairs, the establishment of a closer legal framework between the two countries to better facilitate economic relations and the need for the specialization, consolidation, diversification, and growth of San Marino's economic and financial situation.
Stolfi is also interested in aligning San Marino's economic policies to those of the European Union (EU), in the hopes that San Marino might join that body. He views help from Italy as a "bridge" for San Marino's transition to EU membership.
Domestic Policy
In addition to the sale of postage stamps and revenues from tourism, San Marino receives an annual budget subsidy from the Italian government stemming from the 1862 customs union agreement formed between the two countries. In exchange for this subsidy, San Marino relinquishes the rights to free transit of imports through Italian ports; the printing of paper currency and notes; the operation of commercial radio and television stations; and tobacco cultivation and production of other goods protected by Italian state monopoly. San Marino's trade policy is essentially governed by its customs union with Italy. A 1987 amendment to the relationship allows San Marino banks the right to conduct financial operations directly with foreign banks rather than via the Bank of Italy as was previously required. It also reinstates San Marino's right to operate a casino. This is a venture over which public opinion is divided. Some prefer to keep San Marino traditional, and others are eager to expand its tourist potential. In the late 1990s, San Marino came under pressure from the governments of Italy, the United Kingdom (UK), and the United States to enforce a law enacted in 1997 against music piracy.
Foreign Policy
San Marino is proud of its neutral status. While San Marino's foreign activities are limited, it maintains around 50 consulates worldwide, including offices in China, the United States, and most of the nations of Western and Eastern Europe. In 2002, San Marino held discussions with Russia on improving cooperation between the two nations. Plans to establish an honorary consulate general in Moscow were announced in February of that year.
San Marino has observer status at the United Nations (UN) and belongs to several UN agencies. San Marino was a signatory of the 1975 Final Act of the Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe and continues to participate in their review sessions. By virtue of its customs union with Italy, San Marino is able to have free access to EU markets. Approximately 7,000 Americans of Sanmarinese descent live in New York, Michigan, and Ohio.
Address
San Marino Christian Democrat Party
Piazza Bramanti Lazzari
San Marino
References
Dezzani, Mark. "San Marino Acts Against Piracy—At Last." Billboard, March 27, 1999, vol. 111, no. 13, p. 68.
Duursma, Jorri. Self-Determination, Statehood, and International Relations of Micro-states: the Cases of Liechtenstein, San Marino, Monaco, Andorra, and the Vatican City. New York: Cambridge University Press, 1996.
Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Information Paper, February 19, 2003, http://www.esteri.it/attualita/2003/eng /notes/n030219a.htm (May 14, 2003).
"Saint Marino: More and More European Look," News Italia Press, February 21, 2003, http://216.239.37.120/translate_c?hl=en &u=http://www.newsitaliapress.it /interna.asp%3Fsez (May 14, 2003).
San Marino Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, http://www.esteri.sm/segretario.htm (May 14, 2003).
Profile researched and written by Jeneen Hobby, Ph.D. (5/2003), with sections contributed by Elizabeth Gittelman (7/90).
This is the complete article, containing 1,470 words
(approx. 5 pages at 300 words per page).
