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CEO Biography

Graduated in Law from the La Sapienza University of Rome, he was an Officer in the Italian Air Force and speaks fluent French, English, and Spanish. He speaks Russian, German, and Maltese as well. He was also a special envoy to Lebanon, Russia, Romania, Germany, Belarus, Austria, and Malta. In 1994, he was elected for the first time, in the name of Lesa Italiana, to the European Parliament. This marked the beginning of over two decades of strong commitment to the European project and to the citizens of the Union. He contributed to drafting the project of the European Constitution as a member of the Convention on the Future of Europe, chaired by Valéry Giscard d'Estaing.

From 2001 to 2004, he was also a City Councillor in the Municipality of Rome. Appointed European Commissioner for Economy in 2008, he contributed to creating a European regulatory framework to safeguard the rights of Italians abroad. In 2010, he was appointed Vice President and European Commissioner for Industry and Entrepreneurship, working on reindustrialization, "green growth", and support for SMEs, particularly with the directive on payment delays and action plans for all industrial sectors, starting with steel. Among the actions promoted to support growth and return to higher levels of employment, he implemented specific measures aimed at facilitating the transfer of businesses, improving access to financing, and providing a second chance after business failure.

In 2014, he was re-elected as a Member of the European Parliament and took on the role of First Vice President, with responsibilities for security, interreligious dialogue, and the House of European History. During the transition between the Commission and the European Parliament, he informed President Barroso through a letter that he would waive the transitional allowance of 468,000 euros to which he was entitled as a former Vice President of the Commission. He deemed it appropriate to give a demonstration of sobriety and solidarity at a time of great difficulty for European citizens.

In April 2015, the city of Gijón, in Northern Spain, dedicated a street to him as a recognition of the work done during his term as Vice President of the European Commission, having fought to prevent the closure of an industrial facility, saving 210 jobs. On January 17, 2017, he was elected President of the European Parliament. In this capacity, he organized the debates on the Future of Europe, which were attended by 18 Heads of State and Government. He also organized 12 high-level conferences on issues such as migration, research, tourism, business, cultural heritage, and digital matters. His term was characterized by a strong commitment to a common European defense, support for the real economy, and the revitalization of the EU's role on the global stage, particularly in Africa and Latin America.

In his first speech, the President of the European Parliament wanted to dedicate his election to the victims of the earthquake that struck Italy in 2016. Subsequently, in 2018, he decided to donate the 30,000 euros from the Carlo V Award to the municipalities of Arquata del Tronto, Norcia, and Accumoli. The European Jewish community decided to dedicate a forest of 18 trees, a symbol of life, in Israel as a sign of recognition for his work to build bridges between religions as well as between the European Union and various communities.

In March 2020, during the Covid-19 pandemic, he decided to donate his salary as a European Parliament member to the city of Fondi, to which he has been connected for many years, and which was one of the cities most affected by the coronavirus. From 2019 to 2022, he served as President of the Committee on Constitutional Affairs and the Conference of Committee Chairs of the European Parliament. In January 2022, he was re-elected by acclamation as the president of the Commission for Constitutional Affairs. He actively worked on the realization of the Conference on the Future of Europe and was a key player in the negotiations of the Brexit agreement, fighting for the rights of European citizens residing in the United Kingdom. Since 2002, he has been Vice President of the European People's Party. He has also been Deputy Vice President since July 2018 and National Coordinator since February 2021.

For over twenty years, he has participated in the volunteer work of the "Community in Dialogue" in Trivigliano (FR), for the recovery and social reintegration of young drug addicts. Since 2018, he has also donated his pension from being a former Vice President of the European Commission to this initiative. Since October 22, 2022, he has been Vice President of the Council of Ministers for Economic, Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation.