Adone Zoli

Adone Zoli (16 December 1887 – 20 February 1960) was an Italian politician and member of the Christian Democracy. He served as the 35th Prime Minister of Italy from 1957 to 1958.

Biography

Zoli was born in Cesena, in the province of Forlì-Cesena.

He was elected to the Italian Senate from 1948 to 1960. He was Minister of Justice in 1951 in Alcide De Gasperi's 7th government, Minister of Taxation in 1954 under Amintore Fanfani and Minister of Economic Balance under the first government led by Antonio Segni. As prime minister, a law was passed in October 1957 that extended compulsory pension insurance to small farmers, sharecroppers and tenant farmers, while a law of 13 March 1958 extended pension insurance to fishermen.

Zoli, an anti-fascist, resigned the post of Prime Minister soon after it became clear that he would have needed to rely on the votes of the neo-fascist Italian Social Movement to form a majority in the Parliament. He was then convinced by President of the Republic, Giovanni Gronchi, to remain in the post until the natural dissolution of the Italian Parliament in 1958. Zoli was the sole Italian Senator in office to become Prime Minister.