Pina Picierno
Italian politician (born 1981)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Giuseppina "Pina" Picierno (Italian pronunciation: [ˈpiːna piˈtʃɛrno]; born 10 May 1981) is an Italian politician. Born in Santa Maria Capua Vetere, she was a member of the Democratic Party who has been serving in the European Parliament since 2014.[1] Since 2022, she has served as vice-president of the European Parliament.
10 May 1981
Pina Picierno | |
|---|---|
Official portrait, 2024 | |
| Vice-President of the European Parliament | |
| Assumed office 18 January 2022 | |
| President | Roberta Metsola |
| Member of the European Parliament for Italy | |
| Assumed office 1 July 2014 | |
| Member of the Chamber of Deputies | |
| In office 29 April 2008 – 25 June 2014 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Giuseppina Picierno 10 May 1981 Santa Maria Capua Vetere, Italy |
| Party | SP (since 2026) EDP (since 2026) |
Other political affiliations | PPI (until 2002) DL (2002–2007) PD (2007–2026) |
| Spouse |
Massimiliano Coccia (m. 2023) |
| University of Salerno | |
Political career
Career in national politics
Picierno served two terms as a member of the Italian Parliament between 2008 and 2014.[2]
Member of the European Parliament, 2014–present
Picierno was selected to head her party's regional list in the 2014 European elections.[3] In parliament, she is a member of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats group. She served on the Committee on Budgets from 2014 to 2017[4] and currently serves on the Committee on Women's Rights and Gender Equality.[5] In addition to her committee assignments, she served as vice-chairwoman of the parliament's delegation to the EU-Mexico Joint Parliamentary Committee from 2014 to 2019.[4]
Picierno was elected as Vice-President on 18 January 2022.[6]
In June 2026, she left the centre-left Democratic Party due to her belief that its leader, Elly Schlein, has refused to condemn supporters of dictator Vladimir Putin and the invasion of Ukraine, stating that "you cannot be ambiguous toward Putinist fascism and extremisms."[7][8][9] She also criticized the party for its "movimentista" drift (that is, its rapprochement with the Five Star Movement's positions), and that "the home of the reformists no longer exists."[10] Shortly after, she joined the European Democratic Party[11] and Renew Europe[12] as an individual member, and launched the Public Space ("Spazio Pubblico") movement.[13]
Intergroup memberships
Picierno is also a member of the European Parliament Intergroup on Cancer,[14] the European Parliament Intergroup on Fighting against Poverty,[15] the European Parliament Intergroup on Integrity (Transparency, Anti-Corruption and Organized Crime)[16] and of the European Parliament Intergroup on the Western Sahara.[17]
Recognition
In 2019, Picierno was the recipient of the Justice & Gender Equality Award at The Parliament Magazine's annual MEP Awards.[18]
In 2022, she was the recipient of the IAI Award from the Istituto Affari Internazionali "for having firmly supported Ukraine's independence, territorial integrity, freedom and democracy since the beginning of the Russian invasion of Ukraine."[19]
Positions
In 2025, Picierno participated in a meeting with the Israel Defence and Security Forum (IDSF), an Israeli think tank supporting settlements in the West Bank. In response to criticism, Picierno stated that "isolating Israel means condemning an entire area to an eternal right-wing sovereigntism", receiving support from other Democratic Party members Filippo Sensi, Simona Malpezzi and Piero Fassino.[20]
Picierno is a key supporter of Ukraine in its war against Russian aggression and has taken a lead role in combatting pro-Russia propaganda. This led to her being the target of repeated death threats and being placed under police protection.[21]
Awards
- Order of Princess Olga, 3rd class (Ukraine, 2026)[22]
