Sergio Mattarella, OMRI, OMCA (Italian pronunciation: [ˈsɛrdʒo mattaˈrɛlla]; born 23rd July 1941) is an Italian politician, lawyer and judge who has been President of Italy since 2015. He was a member of Parliamentfrom 1983 to 2008, serving as Minister of Education from 1989 to 1990 and as Minister of Defence from 1999 to 2001. In 2011, he became an elected judge on the Constitutional Court. On January 31 2015, he was elected by parliament to be the 12th President of the Italian Republic. He is the first Sicilian to have held the post.