(Finance) – The Press conference presentation of the first edition of Italian Political Awards Awardcreated and promoted by the association Italian Politics, established at the beginning of 2023 by Giuseppe De Lucia, Marzia Bilotta, Giuseppe Razzano, Vincenzo Manfredi, Michele Vitiello and Valentina Cefalù. The objective of the award is to enhance the parliamentary activities through the identification of members of Parliament who have distinguished themselves for their content contribution and the development of new policy making activities aimed at solving the country’s problems and improving the quality of life of citizens.
The prize is awarded on an annual basis to better parliamentarians identified through the assessments of parameters objective (presence at parliamentary sessions, amendments, proposed plans presented, etc.) and observations expressed by the evaluation commission established at the Luiss School of Government and by academic representatives who are experts in the sector. The categories for 2023 there are five: Environment and Energy, Digital Transition, Healthcare, Infrastructure and Transport, Culture and Scientific Research. For each category, a short list of 4 names will be defined, among which the winner will be announced during an awards ceremony that will take place in March 2024 at Luiss University.
The idea of the Italian Political Awards (IPA) was born from the experience of MEP Awards – Member of European Parliament Awards – a prize awarded every year to Members of the European Parliament who have distinguished themselves for their commitment to the European Union and for their contribution to parliamentary work.
For the Senator Gian Marco CentinaioVice President of the Senate of the Republic: “We lived in an era in which parliamentarians were seen as incapable people and instead there are many excellent people and figures capable of expressing knowledge and skills. The need is to have their work recognized daily, through a scientific analysis of the works that is not based on political affiliation but on the creation of shared value”.
As he noted Giuseppe De LuciaPresident of Italian Politics: “The idea behind the award is to highlight those who carry out valuable policy making activities and trigger that healthy competition that can improve the legislative and decision-making process. We have tried to re-propose the same model applied to the European Parliament by identifying qualitative parameters on the basis of which parliamentarians will be evaluated. We think that Parliament is the fulcrum of democracy in liberal countries and that the centrality of the member of Parliament is fundamental for the implementation of the policy making process”.
For the Hon. Mary Elena Woods: “The positive aspect of the award is the fact that it concerns the quality not the quantity of the work, thanks to this award we will also return to evaluating the quality by getting used to evaluating a certain work not through the classic like or dislike but on the basis of contents and merit”.
Second John Orsina, Director of the Luiss School of Government: “The School of Government has always paid great attention to elective assemblies, building a tradition of studies that, at Luiss, is now decades old. We are happy to be able to take a further step forward along this line today as a scientific partner of the Political Awards: a tool that we hope can enhance, also in the eyes of public opinion, the indispensable work for democracy that is carried out in our Parliament”.
For Gaetano Quagliariello, professor of History at Luiss and President of the Political Awards jury. “Being a parliamentarian, when done well, is a complex job. The parliamentarian must represent his constituents and do politics, but he must also know how to technically master the dossiers he faces. The Political Awards intend to reward the work of those in the House and Senate who have provided a significant contribution in the development of the most important public policies”.
As Philip dwarfsPresident of FERPI – Italian Public Relations Federation, partner of the award: “Today, public relations and communication are the connective tissue of modern politics: a crucial element that defines the way in which ideas, policies and decisions are transmitted to the public. A crucial element in the process of forming public policies, it allows politicians to shape the political agenda, mobilize public opinion, negotiate with fellow legislators and make the legislative process more transparent and accountable. At its best it plays a role essential in bringing citizens closer to political decision-makers and vice versa and in ensuring that laws reflect the needs and opinions of society. Hence, FERPI’s participation in the initiative”.
The event was moderated by Lavinia Spingardijournalist and presenter of SkyTg24.