Carlo Azeglio Ciampi

Senator for life
Carlo Azeglio Ciampi
10th President of Italy
In office
18 May 1999 – 15 May 2006
Prime Minister Massimo D'Alema
Giuliano Amato
Silvio Berlusconi
Preceded by Oscar Luigi Scalfaro
Succeeded by Giorgio Napolitano
49th Prime Minister of Italy
In office
28 April 1993 – 10 May 1994
President Oscar Luigi Scalfaro
Preceded by Giuliano Amato
Succeeded by Silvio Berlusconi
Minister of the Treasury, Budget and
Economic Programming
In office
17 July 1996 – 13 May 1999
Prime Minister Romano Prodi
Massimo D'Alema
Preceded by Lamberto Dini (Treasury)
Mario Arcelli (Budget)
Succeeded by Giuliano Amato
Minister of the Interior
In office
19 April 1994 – 10 May 1994
Government Ciampi
Preceded by Nicola Mancino
Succeeded by Roberto Maroni
Minister of Tourism and Entertainment
In office
28 April 1993 – 10 May 1994
Government Ciampi
Preceded by Margherita Boniver
Succeeded by Domenico Fisichella
Governor of the Bank of Italy
In office
8 October 1979 – 29 April 1993
Preceded by Paolo Baffi
Succeeded by Antonio Fazio
Director General of the Bank of Italy
In office
28 June 1978 – 8 October 1979
Preceded by Mario Ercolani
Succeeded by Lamberto Dini
Personal details
Born (1920-12-09)9 December 1920
Livorno, Kingdom of Italy
Died 16 September 2016(2016-09-16) (aged 95)
Rome, Italy
Nationality Italian
Political party PdA (1943–1947)
Independent (1947–2007)[1]
PD (honorary; 2007–2016)
Spouse(s) Franca Pilla
(m. 1946–2016); his death
Children 2
Alma mater Scuola Normale of Pisa
Profession Economist, politician
Signature

Carlo Azeglio Ciampi (Italian pronunciation: [ˈkarlo adˈdzeʎʎo ˈtʃampi]; 9 December 1920 – 16 September 2016) was an Italian politician and banker. He was the 49th Prime Minister of Italy from 1993 to 1994 and was the tenth President of the Italian Republic from 1999 to 2006.

Biography

Education

Ciampi was born in Livorno (Province of Livorno).[2]

He received a B.A. in ancient Greek literature and classical philology in 1941 from the Scuola Normale Superiore di Pisa, one of the country's most prestigious universities, defending a thesis entitled Favorino d'Arelate e la consolazione Περὶ φυγῆς[3] under the direction of the Hellenist Augusto Mancini. Then he was called to military duty in Albania as a lieutenant. On 8 September 1943, on the date of the armistice with the Allies, he refused to remain in the Fascist Italian Social Republic, and took refuge in Abruzzo, in Scanno. He subsequently managed to pass the lines and reach Bari, where he joined the Partito d'Azione (and thus the Italian resistance movement).

In 1946 he married Franca Pilla. That same year, he obtained a B.A. in law from the University of Pisa and began working at the Banca d'Italia. He also joined the CGIL (Trade Union), which he left in 1980.

Bank of Italy

In 1960, he was called to work in the central administration of the Bank of Italy, where he became Secretary General in 1973, Vice Director General in 1976, and Director General in 1978. In October 1979, he was nominated Governor of the Bank of Italy and President of the national Bureau de Change, positions he filled until 1993.

Political career

Ciampi was the first non-parliamentarian prime minister of Italy in more than 100 years.[4] From April 1993 to May 1994 he oversaw a technical government. Later, as treasury minister from 1996 to May 1999 in the governments of Romano Prodi and Massimo D'Alema, he was credited with adopting the euro currency. He personally chose the Italian design for the 1-euro coin, whereas all others were left to a television vote among some candidates the ministry had prepared (see also: Italian euro coins).

Ciampi chose the Vitruvian man of Leonardo da Vinci, on the symbolic grounds that it represented man as a measure of all things, and in particular of the coin: in this perspective, money was at the service of man, instead of its opposite. The design also fitted very well on the bimetallic material of the coin.

Presidency and afterward

Ciampi meets U.S. President George W. Bush at the Quirinale Palace, April 7, 2005.

Ciampi was elected with a broad majority, and was the second president ever to be elected at the first ballot (when there is a requirement of a two-thirds majority) in a joint session of the Chamber of Deputies, the Italian Senate and representatives of the Regions.

He usually refrained from intervening directly into the political debate while serving as President. However, he often addressed general issues, without mentioning their connection to the current political debate, in order to state his opinion without being too intrusive. His interventions have frequently stressed the need for all parties to respect the constitution and observe the proprieties of political debate. He was generally held in high regard by all political forces represented in the parliament. The possibility of persuading Ciampi to stand for a second term as President – the so-called Ciampi-bis – was widely discussed, despite his advancing age, but it was officially dismissed by Ciampi himself on 3 May 2006, just a few days before his mandate expired. Ciampi resigned as President before the swearing-in ceremony of his successor, Giorgio Napolitano.

As President, Ciampi was not considered to be close to the positions of the Vatican and the Catholic Church, in a sort of alternance after the devout Oscar Luigi Scalfaro. He often praised patriotism, not always a common feeling in Italy because of its abuse by the fascist regime.

He died in Rome on 16 September 2016, at the age of 95, after a long illness.[5][6]

Awards and honours

As President of the Italian Republic between 18 May 1999 and 15 May 2006, Ciampi held the roles of:

References

  1. ↑ Breda, Marzio (15 July 2009). "Pd avvilente ma eviti scissioni. Sì a Bersani, vero rifondatore". Corriere della Sera (in Italian). La mia ultima tessera […] è stata quella del Partito d'azione, e altre non ne ho mai più volute.
  2. ↑ Page at Senate website (Italian).
  3. ↑ Favorinus of Arles and the Consolation Περὶ φυγῆς, anastatic reprint by the Scuola Normale di Pisa editions, editor Franco Montanari, introduction of Salvatore Settis, ISBN 978-88-7642-411-3.
  4. ↑ Wentworth, Richard L. (28 April 1993). "Italy Turns to a Banker to Form Government". The Christian Science Monitor. Retrieved 26 April 2013.
  5. ↑ Italy's former President Carlo Azeglio Ciampi dies aged 95 Wall Street Journal
  6. ↑ Former Italian President Carlo Azeglio Ciampi dies at 95 The Guardian
  7. ↑ Slovak republic website, State honours : 1st Class in 2002 (click on "Holders of the Order of the 1st Class White Double Cross" to see the holders' table)
  8. ↑ "Semakan Penerima Darjah Kebesaran, Bintang, dan Pingat Persekutuan.".
  9. ↑ Nomination by Sovereign Ordonnance n° 331 13 December 2005 (French)
Government offices
Preceded by
Mario Ercolani		 Deputy Director General of Banca d'Italia
1976–1978 		Succeeded by
Alfredo Persiani Acerbo
Preceded by
Mario Ercolani		 Director General of Banca d'Italia
1978–1979 		Succeeded by
Lamberto Dini
Preceded by
Paolo Baffi		 Governor of Banca d'Italia
1979–1993 		Succeeded by
Antonio Fazio
Political offices
Preceded by
Margherita Boniver		 Minister of Tourism and Entertainment
1993–1994 		Succeeded by
Domenico Fisichella
Preceded by
Giuliano Amato		 President of the Council of Ministers of Italy
1993–1994 		Succeeded by
Silvio Berlusconi
Preceded by
Nicola Mancino		 Minister of the Interior, a.i.
1994 		Succeeded by
Roberto Maroni
Preceded by
Lamberto Dini
as Minister of the Treasury		 Minister of the Treasury, Budget and
Economic Programming
1996–1999 		Succeeded by
Giuliano Amato
Preceded by
Mario Arcelli
as Minister of the Budget and
Economic Programming
Preceded by
Oscar Luigi Scalfaro		 President of Italy
1999–2006 		Succeeded by
Giorgio Napolitano
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