Segni, Antonio

Segni, Antonio (äntô`nyō sĕn`yē), 1891–1972, Italian political leader. A lawyer, he entered national politics in 1919 as a leader of the Popular party, the forerunner of the Christian Democratic party. For many years he was a professor at various universities. After World War II he was elected to the constituent assembly and then to parliament in 1948. He held numerous ministerial posts, serving twice as premier (1955–57, 1959–60). Elected president of Italy in 1962 he resigned in Dec., 1964, after suffering a cerebral hemorrhage.

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Segni, Antonio 

Born Feb. 2, 1891, in Sassari; died Dec. 1. 1972, in Rome. Italian political figure and statesman. Lawyer and author of works on law. Member of the National Academy of Lincei.

Segni helped found the Christian Democratic Party in 1943 and was a member of its right wing. From 1946 to 1951 he held the post of minister of agriculture and forestry and collaborated on a partial agricultural reform that was adopted under pressure from the peasant movement. He also served as minister of education (1951–1954), prime minister (1955–1957), deputy prime minister and minister of defense (1958–59), prime minister and minister of the interior (1959–60), and minister of foreign affairs (1960–1962). In 1962 he was elected president of the Italian Republic. In December 1964 he went into retirement for reasons of health. He was appointed senator for life. Segni took right centrist positions and supported the strengthening of Italy’s political and military ties with NATO.