Romano Prodi

Romano Prodi
Prodi in 2004
President of the European Commission
In office
16 September 1999 – 21 November 2004
Vice PresidentNeil Kinnock
Preceded byManuel Marín
Succeeded byJosé Manuel Barroso
Prime Minister of Italy
In office
17 May 2006 – 8 May 2008
PresidentGiorgio Napolitano
Deputy
Preceded bySilvio Berlusconi
Succeeded bySilvio Berlusconi
In office
18 May 1996 – 21 October 1998
PresidentOscar Luigi Scalfaro
DeputyWalter Veltroni
Preceded byLamberto Dini
Succeeded byMassimo D'Alema
President of the Democratic Party
In office
14 October 2007 – 16 April 2008
SecretaryWalter Veltroni
Preceded byOffice Created
Succeeded byRosy Bindi
Minister of Industry, Commerce and Crafts
In office
25 November 1978 – 21 March 1979
Prime MinisterGiulio Andreotti
Preceded byCarlo Donat-Cattin
Succeeded byFranco Nicolazzi
Member of the Chamber of Deputies
In office
28 April 2006 – 28 April 2008
ConstituencyEmilia-Romagna
In office
9 May 1996 – 16 September 1996
ConstituencyBologna
Personal details
Born
Romano Antonio Prodi

(1939-08-09) 9 August 1939 (age 85)
Scandiano, Kingdom of Italy
Political partyChristian Democracy
(1963–1994)
Italian People's Party
(1994–1996)
Independent (1996–1999, 2002–2007; since 2013)
The Democrats
(1999–2002)
Democratic Party
(2007–2013)
Other political
affiliations
The Olive Tree
(1995–2007)
The Union
(2005–2007)
Spouse
Flavia Franzoni
(m. 1969; died 2023)
Children2
Alma mater
Signature

Romano Prodi OMRI (Italian: [roˈmaːno ˈprɔːdi] ; born 9 August 1939) is an Italian politician who served as President of the European Commission from 1999 to 2004 and twice as Prime Minister of Italy, from 1996 to 1998, and again from 2006 to 2008.[1][2] Prodi is considered the founder of the Italian centre-left and one of the most prominent figures of the Second Republic. He is often nicknamed Il Professore ("The Professor") due to his academic career.[3]

A former professor of economics and international advisor to Goldman Sachs, Prodi ran as lead candidate of The Olive Tree coalition, winning the 1996 election and serving as prime minister until losing a vote of confidence 1998. He was subsequently appointed President of the European Commission in 1999, serving until 2004. Following the victory of his new coalition, The Union, over the House of Freedoms led by Silvio Berlusconi, at the 2006 election, Prodi became prime minister a second time. On 24 January 2008, he lost a vote of confidence in the Senate and consequently tendered his resignation as prime minister to President Giorgio Napolitano; he continued in office for almost four months for routine business until early elections were held and a new government was formed. Prodi was the first left-leaning candidate to finish first in an Italian general election since 1921.

On 14 October 2007, Prodi became the founding president of the Democratic Party upon foundation of the party. On 12 September 2008, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon selected Prodi as president of the African Union–United Nations peacekeeping panel.[4] Since 2021, he is serving as the United Nations Special Envoy for the Sahel.

  1. ^ Romano Prodi – Biografia
  2. ^ Quegli incarichi mai arrivati a Prodi. Il premier e il distacco dal Professore
  3. ^ "Il professor Romano Prodi Presidente del Consiglio dei Ministri". Archived from the original on 4 August 2018. Retrieved 2 May 2017.
  4. ^ "Former Italian PM to head African Union-UN peacekeeping panel". Romano Prodi website. 12 September 2008. Retrieved 29 June 2010.