Born in Milan on March 22, 1940. Married to Gabriella Fagno, has a son, Duccio, and four grandchildren, David, Lisa, Anita and Maria Sole.
His life is marked by the union commitment, in Cgil, and by political responsibility.
From 1975 to 1985 he was secretary of Cgil for Piedmont region.
In 1985 he was elected to the Cgil National Secretariat, which he held until 1994, when he became National Secretary of the Communist Refoundation Party, a role he was recognized at every subsequent convention, including the one in March 2005 for twelve years consecutively.
He was previously enrolled in the Italian Socialist Party and then in the Italian Socialist Party of Proletarian Unity (Psiup).
In 1971, the year of Psiup’s disappearance, he entered the PCI. After the turn of Bolognina joined the Pds and in 1993 he joined the Prc.
In May 2004 he was elected president of the European Left Party (Pse), which was confirmed in October 2005 in Athens during the first Congress of the Pse.
He was elected Italian deputy for the Communist Refoundation Party in 1994, 1996, and in 2001.
In June 1999 he was elected European Parliamentarian, as in 2004.
In 2006 he was re-elected Italian deputy in the Piedmont district 1 and April 29, 2006 of the Chamber of Deputies, and resigned as the secretary of Communist Refoundation and President of the Pse.
At the 2008 political elections he was nominated for the “Rainbow Left” coalition as chairman of the Council of Ministers. Since May 2008, after having completed the experience of President of the Chamber of Deputies, in March 2013, he was President of the Foundation of the Chamber of Deputies.ì
It has been published collections of his articles.
He is the author of several books, including “La camera dei lavori” (Ediesse), “Verso la democrazia autoritaria” (Datanews), “Tutti i colori del rosso” (Sperling & Kupfer), “Le due sinistre” (with Alfonso Gianni, Sperling & Kupfer), “Pensare il ’68” (with Alfonso Gianni, Ponte alle Grazie), “Le idee che non muoiono” (with A. Gianni, Ponte alle Grazie), “Per una pace infinita” Gianni, Ponte alle Grazie), “Non violenza – le ragioni del pacifismo” (publisher Fazi) together with Lidia Menapace and Marco Revelli, “Analisi collettiva”, a meeting between Fausto Bertinotti and Pietro Ingrao at Villa Piccolomini in Rome on November 5 2004, edited by New Roman editions. Then “L’Europa delle passioni forti” (with Alfonso Gianni Ponte alle Grazie), “Io ci provo” with Cosimo Rossi (Manifesto Books), “Il ragazzo con la maglietta a striscie conversazioni con Wilma Labate” (Aliberti publisher) “La città degli uomini. Cinque riflessioni in un mondo che cambia” with Sergio Valzania (Arnaldo Mondatori Editore),”Devi augurarti che la strada sia lunga “(May 2009 with Ritanna Armeni and Rina Gagliardi, Ponte alle Grazie),” Chi comanda qui? Come e perché si è smarrito il ruolo della Constituzione? “(2010 – Arnaldo Mondatori Editore),”Le occasioni mancate” (2012 with Dario Danti – ETS Edizioni), “La discorde amicizia – lettera sulla sinistra” (2013 with Riccardo Terzi – Ediesse Edizioni). Finally, the latest publications: “Sempre daccapo” (2014 conversation with Roberto Donadoni – Marcianum Press), “Colpita al cuore – Perché l’Italia non è una repubblica fondata sul lavoro” (2015 – Castelvecchi), “Rosso di Sera” (2015 With Carlo Formenti – Officer for Jaca Book).
He was awarded the Legion of Honor, the highest distinction attributed by the French Republic. The University of Tunis has awarded him the Degree Honoris Causa in 2016.
Since May 2007 he is director of the bi-monthly magazine he founded “Alternative per il socialismo”. From December 2011 he is the founder and chairman of the foundation Cercare Ancora.