A member of the Democratic Party, she served as the Italian Minister of Defence in the governments of Matteo Renzi and Paolo Gentiloni from 22 February 2014 to 1 June 2018.

[4] In 2013, Pinotti was appointed undersecretary of state (sottosegretario di Stato) in the Ministry of Defence in the government led by Enrico Letta.

Her first act was to meet the wives of the two Italian marines detained in India, due to the Enrica Lexie case.

She received the America Award of the Italy-USA Foundation in 2014.In October 2014, Pinotti visited the United Arab Emirates and met with Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan in order to strengthen the bilateral relations with regards to the Defense.

[6][7] In February 2015 she returned to the United Arab Emirates in occasion of the International Defence Industry Exhibition (IDEX), attended by several Italian companies, and met again with Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan.