Nationality: Italian
Personal details
Born 9th August 1939, Scandiano, (Reggio Emilia) Italy
Married, two sons
Education
Degree in Law, Catholic University of Milan
Postgraduate studies at the London School of Economics
Academic career
1963-1971 Assistant in Political Economics at the University of Bologna
1971-1999 Professor of Industrial Organisation and Industrial Policy at the University of Bologna
1963-1964 Researcher at the Lombard Institute of Economic and Social Studies (ILSES)
1968 Researcher at Stanford Research Institute
1973-1974 Professor of Economics and Industrial Politics at the Free University of Trento
1974 Visiting Professor at Harvard University
Political career
1978-1979 Minister for Industry
1982-1989 Chairman of the Institute for Industrial Reconstruction (IRI)
1993-1994 Re-appointed Chairman of the Institute for Industrial Reconstruction (IRI)
1995 Chairman of the Ulivo, the centre left coalition
1996-1999 Member of Parliament
1996-1998 President of the Council of Ministers of the Italian Republic
September 1999 - President of the European Commission.