Grosseto. Mario Pellegrinifrom Giglia DOC, will be the representative of the Maremma for Brothers of Italy in the run-up to the European elections which will be held on 8 and 9 June.
«I thank my party – he declares Pilgrims – for supporting me, I am a first-time militant, the Brothers of Italy is a political project in which I believe very much. I am also honored to have been chosen by my territory which I intend to represent as best as possible in Europe too.”
Mario Pellegrini
Mario Pellegrini, today president of the Grosseto Provincial Building Industry (Epg), is 61 years old, married to Paola and is the father of Sophia, 24 years old, and Simone, 20 years old. In his life he is a successful entrepreneur and has always worked in the tourism sector: «Since I was a boy – tells Pilgrims – I worked in my father’s restaurant in Giglio Castello and, after my marriage, I managed a hotel for a long time together with my wife. The big leap came in 2017 with the Punta Fenaio lighthouse, which we renovated and made into an excellent accommodation facility, 6 rooms overlooking the splendid Giglio cliff, which my wife and I manage with the help of our boys.”
Always on the local political scene, Mario Pellegrini began his militancy at a very young age, in the ranks of the conservatives of Grosseto, where he attended high school: «In the late 70s my political commitment began – tells – and I looked carefully at the developments of that period. I have always been politically active on the island and my first membership card arrived before I was 30, always fighting in the same political area. In 1996 I received my first candidacy for municipal councilor of the municipality of the island of Giglio and, being among the most voted, I obtained the role of majority leader of the Landini mayoral list. Always active in the association and recreational fields, I never lost contact with Grosseto politics, remaining in the provincial direction of Alleanza Nazionale, always attentive to everything that was happening in the territory as a whole. In 2009 the position of deputy mayor arrived with Sergio Ortelli’s first mandate.”
The watershed that changes Mario’s life is 2012 and also launches him into the limelight for his courageous intervention on the Costa Concordia the night of the shipwreck, thanks to which he saved numerous lives, earning a medal for civil valor: «A night that left a profound mark on me – points out -, I’m really proud of how we managed to manage administrative activities in the great chaos that had been created and which lasted for two and a half years. I was then appointed member of the observatory for the removal of Concordia and today I am still part of the observatory for environmental restoration which, together with the “La Sapienza” University of Rome, has worked constantly and profitably to restore the subject seabed of the shipwreck in its original state”.
2012 is also the year of his commitment to Fratelli d’Italia: «In 2016 I left the position of deputy mayor to dedicate myself to work – goes on Pilgrims -, but I remain an active member of the party, of which I have been a part since the end of 2012. I joined Giorgia’s new political project with conviction: when she founded Fratelli d’Italia I found my home, I have always been a convinced conservative and Fratelli d’Italia. ‘Italy is the perfect expression of European conservatism. I became a national director at the Fiuggi congress and confirmed at the Trieste one. Today I am still an active member of the provincial and national leadership and, in the area, I contributed to building the party, together with Fabrizio Rossi and Luca Minucci, and making it grow, forming a ruling class of which I am proud.”
A great hunting enthusiast, Mario Pellegrini is also a nature lover: «I have always had great admiration for hunting, which I have practiced since I was a boy – he states again the candidate –, I love being in contact with nature and I treat my dogs as if they were brothers, a passion that I have also passed on to both of my children. Furthermore, even if I am not a professional, I enjoy taking care of my vineyard with love and pride and I produce a quality wine that reflects the soul of my territory, with the grapes that I inherited from my grandparents.”
And it is precisely this Maremma that Pellegrini wants to bring to Europe: «I want to bring the Maremma experience of hunting, fishing and agriculture to Europe – he concludes –, representing the people who get up early in the morning, bend their backs and work to support their family, also protecting our biodiversity. And this is precisely where we must start: making ourselves respected as Italians, ensuring that the peculiarities and excellences of our nation are respected. A Europe that does not die of greenery, of that environmentalism that scares me. Italian hunters are oppressed by absurd rules and I will be a shield for them together with Sergio Berlato and Pietro Fiocchi. We do not want to bully others, but to build a Europe that finally respects us and recognizes our extraordinary uniqueness.”
