Mario Adinolfi

Mario Adinolfi, born in Rome in 1971, is an Italian journalist, politician and poker player who is widely known in Italy for his Catholic positions. He began in Christian Democracy, joined the Italian People's Party and sat in its constituent assembly in 1993, founded the movement Direct Democracy to contest the 2001 Rome mayoral election, and helped found the Democratic Party, standing for its leadership in 2007. He served in the Italian Chamber of Deputies from June 2012 to March 2013, replacing Pietro Tidei. In 2016 he founded The People of the Family, a social conservative party that commentators accused of Christian fundamentalism, and he has drawn controversy for statements on women, euthanasia and other subjects. He also founded the newspaper La Croce and has published several books on family and bioethical themes.