«Don’t mess with me». This sentence by Nancy Pelosi alone, said to a journalist who asked about her supposed “hate” for President Donald Trump, would be enough to explain the character of the American House of Representative speaker. Determined, tough when needed, resolute in making women’s voices heard in politics. Young socialists included. The same who had questioned Pelosi’s reelection as President of the American House of Representatives last January (the Pelosi family in 2017 had assets worth 15 million, and in 2014 Nancy was the 15th wealthiest member of Parliament). A problem assuaged by the American representative’s ability in creating relationships, in making her experience felt and channeling efforts towards the same goal: taking back the White House. One way or another. Impeachment including.
The daughter of Italian-American parents, Nancy Pelosi, formerly known as Nancy Patricia D’Alessandro, currently serves in the third highest position in the country after a political career that started in 1987, when she was elected for the first time to Congress as a representative of the eighth district of California. After being a full time mom for her five children, Pelosi at the time was one of 25 women (out of over 450 represented) to have a seat in the American parliament. An achievement she seems to have been destined for when, at the young age of 12, she used to take part in democratic conventions together with her father, who was the mayor of Baltimore (like her brother will be, too) and first Italian-American elected to Congress.
On her liberal and progressive views, that are not in conflict with the often claimed catholic education she received, Nancy Pelosi has built her fortune (she has been the leader of her party or speaker of the House for 16 uninterrupted years): she is in favor of freedom of choice in terms of abortion, she has often endeavored, during the Obama administration, to make sure that the scope of public heath care was not reduced. A strong supporter, with regards to internal politics, of gun control laws, she has often spoken about her views supporting environmental issues. While in foreign policy many will remember her “performance” in Tienanmen Square in 1991 when, during a break from commitments of the official delegation that was tasked with repairing the relationship between the U.S.A. and China in view of a greater economic cooperation, she posed with a protest sign that recalled the violent suppression of riots in 1989. A symbolic but not trivial protest, reprised a few years later in Parliament when, with an 8 hour and 7 minutes long speech, she basically grounded the debate over the fate of the dreamers that were being targeted by the Republicans.
“Who told you you could candidate yourself?” Nobody “told me”. Nobody had authorized me. I knew I did not need anyone to authorize me. I was aware of my strength, my power and my motivations.
Now, at almost 80 years old (her birthday is on March 26), Pelosi has become the symbol of the battle against the Trump administration and the champion of the American constitution. “We will follow the facts wherever they will take us” the House speaker stated regarding the investigation on Russiagate. Determination and diligence that have payed off. It was her job, in fact, to ask the Department of Justice to formalize, at the beginning of December, accusations against President Trump for the Ukraine case, the alleged pressure Donald Trump put on the Ukrainian President in order for him to open investigations on Joe Biden (one of the possible winners in the democratic primaries and, therefore, potential adversary in the next 2020 presidential elections).
Burdens and honors that have made her a true champion of civil battles in support of women. In a recent interview, when asked about her first steps in politics, she told the story of the reaction of her male colleagues: “Who told you you can candidate yourself?”. Nobody “told me”. Nobody had authorized me. I knew I did not need anyone to authorize me. I was aware of my strength, my power and my motivations”. The same that continue to guide her in her daily effort: “Nothing is healthier for our democracy than a greater participation and the capacity for leadership of women. But we want more: the more women are candidates in elections, the more elected women, the more leaders in each sector”.