Malpezzi Simona

Simona Flavia Malpezzi (born in Cernusco sul Naviglio, 22 August 1972) is an Italian politician. From 16 September 2019 to 25 March 2021, she served as Undersecretary of State for Relations with Parliament in the Conte II and Draghi governments.

On 25 March 2021, she was unanimously elected Leader of the Democratic Party in the Senate, succeeding Andrea Marcucci, and held the same position in the 19th Legislature until 28 March 2023, when she was replaced by Francesco Boccia.

Born in Cernusco sul Naviglio and raised in Pioltello, in the province of Milan, she studied Modern Literature at the Catholic University of the Sacred Heart of Milan, graduating with a thesis on Amintore Fanfani. Since 1997, she has been a high school teacher, combining teaching with organizing experiences abroad and deepening her focus on school dropout prevention, school-work alternation, and student guidance. In 2005, she moved to Germany with her husband Thomas and their daughters and taught Italian language and culture at the Volkshochschule of Aschaffenburg, Bavaria.

In 2009, after returning to Italy, she joined the Democratic Party (PD). In 2011, she was elected to the City Council of Pioltello, serving as PD group leader.

In the 2013 general elections, she was elected to the Chamber of Deputies on the Democratic Party lists for the Lombardy 1 constituency. She served as a member of the VII Commission on Culture, Science, and Education, the Bicameral Commission for Childhood and Adolescence, and the Bicameral Commission on Urban Safety and Degradation of the Chamber of Deputies.

In the 2018 general elections, she was elected Senator for the Democratic Party in Lombardy. On 2 May 2018, she was appointed Deputy Leader of the PD in the Senate, a position she held until 23 September 2019. From 21 June 2018 to 23 September 2019, she served on the VII Commission for Public Education and Cultural Heritage in the Senate.

Following the formation of the Conte II government (PD, M5S, LeU), on 13 September 2019 she was appointed by the Council of Ministers as Undersecretary of State for Relations with Parliament, assisting Minister Federico D’Incà, and took office on 23 September 2019.

On 24 February 2021, she was reconfirmed as Undersecretary of State at the Presidency of the Council with responsibility for parliamentary relations, and on 1 March 2021, she was sworn in by Prime Minister Mario Draghi.

On 25 March 2021, following the request of the new party secretary Enrico Letta to appoint two women as parliamentary group leaders and after internal tensions in the Senate group, she was unanimously elected Leader of the Democratic Party in the Senate, succeeding Andrea Marcucci. She simultaneously ceased her role as Undersecretary of State for Parliamentary Relations, as the two roles are incompatible.

In the early elections of 25 September 2022, she ran for the Senate in the Lombardy 03 multi-member constituency as the lead candidate and in Lombardy 02 in second position, winning election. On 18 October 2022, she was confirmed as PD Leader in the Senate.