Roberto Fico is an Italian politician who has served as President of Campania since December 2025. He chaired the RAI Supervision Commission from 2013 to 2018 and was President of the Italian Chamber of Deputies from 2018 to 2022. Born in Naples, he is associated with the Five Star Movement, where he is considered the leader of its left-wing faction.
Early life
Fico was born in Naples in 1974 to a middle-class family. He studied communication studies at the University of Trieste and spent an Erasmus exchange at the University of Helsinki. He graduated in 2001 with a thesis on the social and linguistic identity of Neapolitan neomelodic music. Before entering politics he held a range of jobs, including work in press offices, a hotel, a call center and a butcher's shop.
Political career
Fico founded one of the early Friends of Beppe Grillo meetups in Naples in 2005, a step that led to the formation of the Five Star Movement. He ran unsuccessfully for President of Campania in 2010 and for Mayor of Naples in 2011. He was elected to the Italian Parliament in 2013. As Chairman of the RAI Supervision Commission, he introduced live streaming of hearings and set a deadline for answers to public broadcaster questions. In 2018 he was elected President of the Chamber of Deputies, and he later received an exploratory mandate from President Sergio Mattarella to address the political deadlock.
Political views
Fico has stated support for extending marriage and adoption rights to same-sex couples. He also backs euthanasia for the terminally ill and jus soli, the right to nationality for those born in a state's territory. He is regarded as the leader of the left-wing faction within the Five Star Movement, often in opposition to Luigi Di Maio.