Romano Prodi

Prime Minister of Italy

Born in Scandiano (Reggio Emilia) in 1939, Romano Prodi received a degree in law from the Catholic University in Milan with a thesis on protectionism in Italian industry. He continued his studies at the University of Milan, University of Bologna, and the London School of Economics. He has been a visiting professor at Harvard University and at the Stanford Research Institute. Romano Prodi became a full professor of industrial policy at the University of Bologna in 1971. From 1974 to 1978 he headed the publishing house Il Mulino. In 1981 he founded Nomisma, one of the most important Italian companies which conduct economic studies, and he headed its scientific committee until 1995.
From November 1978 to March 1979 Romano Prodi was Minister of Industry. From November 1982 to October 1989 he was chairman of the Institute for Industrial Reconstruction (IRI) which was the largest state-owned holding company at the time. Under his leadership, the Institute underwent a phase of considerable renewal, laying the foundations for the process of transformation and preparing businesses for privatization. Romano Prodi was called to guide the Institute once again in May 1993, when he successfully carried out privatization programs for important companies like Credito Italiano and Banca Commerciale Italiana.
In February 1995 he founded the Ulivo coalition, which appointed him as its candidate for Prime Minister for the political elections. He held that position from 1996 to 1998. In 1999 he was appointed President of the European Commission. During his five-year presidency several historical decisions were made, such as the introduction of the euro and broadening the EU to 25 countries. Since May 17th, 2006 he has guided the current administration. He is the author of numerous publications.

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