Tajani Antonio

Antonio Tajani, born in Rome on 4 August 1953, is the son of an Italian Army officer and a teacher of Greek and Latin. He graduated in Law from the Università La Sapienza and served as an officer in the Italian Air Force. Married and father of two children, he speaks fluent French, English, and Spanish.
A professional journalist since 1980, he has worked as a parliamentary reporter, GR1 Rai anchor, and head of the Rome newsroom of Il Giornale, collaborating for ten years with Indro Montanelli. He has been a special correspondent in Lebanon, the Soviet Union, and Somalia.
Co-founder of Forza Italia, he coordinated the party in Lazio (1994–2005) and served as spokesperson for the Prime Minister during the Berlusconi I government. In 1994, he was elected to the European Parliament, contributing to drafting the European Constitution as a member of the Convention on the Future of Europe. From 2001 to 2004, he was a city councilor in Rome.
Appointed European Commissioner for Transport in 2008, he promoted the Trans-European Networks and the protection of passenger rights. In 2010, he became Vice-President and Commissioner for Industry and Entrepreneurship, supporting green growth, SMEs, and reindustrialization. Re-elected to the European Parliament in 2014, he assumed the role of First Vice-President with responsibilities for security, interreligious dialogue, and the House of European History, renouncing the transitional allowance of €468,000 in solidarity with citizens.
On 17 January 2017, he was elected President of the European Parliament, promoting debates on the future of Europe and high-level conferences on migration, research, tourism, business, and digital issues. During his mandate, he supported European common defense, the real economy, and international cooperation. He has been Vice-President of the European People’s Party since 2002, Vice-President of Forza Italia since 2018, and National Coordinator since 2021.
Active in volunteering, he donates his pension as former Vice-President of the European Commission to the “Comunità in Dialogo” in Trivigliano. Since 22 October 2022, he has served as Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation.