Nilde Iotti

Leonilde Iotti
With President Sandro Pertini
President of the Chamber of Deputies
In office June 20, 1979 – April 22, 1992
Preceded by	Pietro Ingrao
Succeeded by	Oscar Luigi Scalfaro
Personal details
Born	April 10, 1920 Reggio Emilia, Italy
Died	December 4, 1999(1999-12-04) (aged 79) Rome, Italy
Nationality	Italian
Political party	Italian Communist Party
Profession	Politician

Leonilde Iotti, commonly known as Nilde Iotti (April 10, 1920 - December 4, 1999) was an Italian politician of the Communist Party, the first woman to become president of the Italian Chamber of Deputies for three consecutive legislatures from 1979 to 1992.

Born in Reggio Emilia, she took part in the resistance movement against the Nazi German invaders during World War II. After the end of the war and the referendum against the Savoy Monarchy, in 1946, she was member of the Constituent Chamber, one of the 75 members entrusted with the writing of the Italian Republican Constitution (see: Birth of the Italian Republic).

In April 1948 Iotti was elected on the ticket of the Italian Communist Party (PCI) to the Chamber of Deputies, of which she was member without interruption until 1999. Iotti had a long liaison with the National Secretary of the PCI Palmiro Togliatti, one which lasted until the latter's death in 1964: the relationship was made public in 1948, on the occasion of the attempt on Togliatti's life, a few days after the Italian general election day, and was received coldly by Italy's public opinion, including many Italian communists, because Togliatti was married to Maria Montagnana at the time.

In 1979, Iotti became Speaker of the Lower House of Parliament, succeeding to Pietro Ingrao. She was popular and respected as a president, and was confirmed in the office for two more legislatures. In 1987, she was entrusted by President Francesco Cossiga with a mandate of potentially forming the government, the closest a PCI member, and a woman, got to becoming Prime Minister of Italy; however, Iotti was not able to form a coalition.

She died in Rome in 1999.

Political offices
Preceded by Pietro Ingrao	President of the Italian Chamber of Deputies 1979-1992	Succeeded by Oscar Luigi Scalfaro

Persondata
Name	Iotti, Nilde
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth	April 10, 1920
Place of birth	Reggio Emilia, Italy
Date of death	December 4, 1999
Place of death	Rome, Italy