Mario Monti

Senator for life of the Italian Republic, President of Istituto Javotte Bocconi, Honorary President of the Institute for European Policymaking @ Bocconi University.

He was President of Bocconi University (1994-2022; on leave while he was European Commissioner and Prime Minister).

In November 2011, with Italy close to default, President Napolitano asked him to form a government of national unity, taking the positions of Prime Minister (2011-2013) and Minister of Economy and Finance (2011-2012). With cross-party support, his government overcame the financial crisis, initiated structural reforms, and obtained vital improvements in Euro-area governance. After months of negotiations under Italy’s pressure, in June 2012 Germany agreed to a Euro-Summit position in favor of stabilization interventions, allowing the European Central Bank to pursue desired changes in monetary policy.

Member of the European Commission (1995-2004): Commissioner for the Single Market (1995-1999) and for Competition (1999-2004), promoting European market integration and initial steps towards tax coordination. Imposed sanctions in famous cases of abuse of dominance (e.g., Microsoft), anticompetitive mergers (e.g., GE/Honeywell), and illegal state aids (e.g., German government’s guarantees to public banks).

He wrote the essay Demagony – Where the Politics of Illusions Leads (Solferino, 2024).

Member or chair of several advisory commissions in Italy (e.g., Monti Commission on Banking and Financial Reform, 1982), the UK (Roll Committee on the Independence of the Bank of England, 2003), and France (Attali Commission on Economic Growth, 2007). Produced the Report on a New Strategy for the Single Market (2010) for the President of the European Commission. Chaired the group that released the report on The Future of EU Finances and Own Resources (2017).

Member of the Institut de France (Académie des Sciences Morales et Politiques) since 2014. Chair of the Pan-European Commission on Health and Sustainable Development (2020-2021) and currently member of the Lancet Commission on 21st Century Global Health Threats.

Founded and chaired IGIER at Bocconi with CEPR and NBER (1990), and the think tank Bruegel (2005).

Born in Varese, Italy, in 1943. Graduated from Bocconi University and pursued postgraduate studies at Yale University. Professor of Economics at: University of Trento, University of Turin, and then at Bocconi University, where he served as Rector (1989-1994).