ROME — No stranger to Italian politics, former porn star Cicciolina, now 61, is making another run for office, this time for Rome’s city council.
The Hungarian-born retired performer whose real name is Llona Staller, is campaigning under the country’s historic Italian Liberal Party banner.
Cicciolina’s platform supports the legalization of prostitution, marijuana for medical use and civil unions. "My program will be liberal, libertarian and environmentalist," Cicciolina said.
The former adult star began her political career for the Green Party in 1979 before entering porn, and joined the Radical party in 1985. She was a member of parliament between 1987-91.
Later in 1991, she and fellow Italian porn star Moana Pozzi founded the protest “Party of Love” to battle political corruption.
The politician was also the center of controversy in 2011 after she demanded a pension from the Italian government. At that time she also called for yet another political party to be formed that would expose political wrongdoing.
Cicciolina also had aspirations of becoming mayor of the northern Italian town of Monza.
"I would make Monza an exciting town. It has a lot of potential. If the Royal Villa was turned into a luxury casino, for example, the town council would have loads of money," she said in 2011.
The controversial candidate also made headlines when she offered to have sex with the late Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein to prevent the Gulf War, and in 2002 renewed the offer before the U.S. invasion in 2003.
