Franco Bassanini
President, Cassa Depositi e Prestiti, Italy
Franco Bassanini, former Italian Cabinet Minister for Public Administration and Regional Affairs (1996-2001) and Professor of Constitutional Law at the First University of Rome, is now Chairman of Cassa Depositi e Prestiti (the most important Italian long term investor in the fields of infrastructures, energy, and public utilities) and President of Astrid, an Italian think tank established in 2001, gathering together about 350 scientists and experts in the field of European institutions, public policies, public administration’s reform, market regulation and e-government (www.astrid.eu). He is also member of the french Commission pour la Libération de la Croissance française, established by Nicholas Sarkozy and chaired by Jacques Attali, and of the Supervisory Board of 2020 European Fund for Energy, Climate Change and Infrastructure (Marguerite Fund).
Franco Bassanini has been member of Italian Parliament from 1979 to 2006 (Member of the House of Deputies from 1979 to 1996, Senator from 1996 to 2006). He has also been member of the E.N.A. (École Nationale d’Administration) Executive Board (2001-2005), of the Comité d’évaluation des strategies ministérielles de réforme led by Francis Mer (2003-2005) and of the High Level Panel of the U.N. ICT Task Force (2001-2006). In Italian Parliament, he has been Chairman of the Parliamentary Committee for Monetary Policy and Budget (1987-1990) and Chairman of the Parliamentary Group of the Independent Left (1988-1991).
Franco Bassanini was Cabinet Minister for Public Administration and Regional Affairs in the Italian Government led by Romano Prodi (1996-1998), Under-secretary of State to Prime Minister’s Office and responsible for the Cabinet Office in the first Government led by Massimo D’Alema (1998-1999), Cabinet Minister for Public Administration in the second Government led by Massimo D’Alema (1999-2000) and in the second Government led by Giuliano Amato (2000-2001). During those years, he carried out a wide and comprehensive reform program of the Italian administrative system.
From 1965 to 2001 Franco Bassanini has taught at the Universities of Milan, Trento, Sassari, Florence and Rome. He is the author of 18 books and about 300 academic articles on issues of constitutional law, economic law, political science, European law and administrative law. (www.bassanini.it).