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Antonio Tajani

Tajani in 2025

Deputy Prime Minister of Italy

Incumbent

Assumed office
22 October 2022

Serving with Matteo Salvini

Prime Minister

Giorgia Meloni

Preceded by

Matteo Salvini (2019)
Luigi Di Maio (2019)

Minister of Foreign Affairs

Incumbent

Assumed office
22 October 2022

Prime Minister

Giorgia Meloni

Preceded by

Luigi Di Maio

Secretary of Forza Italia

Incumbent

Assumed office
15 July 2023

Preceded by

Office established

Member of the Chamber of Deputies

Incumbent

Assumed office
13 October 2022

Constituency

Velletri

European Union offices

President of the European Parliament
In office 17 January 2017 – 3 July 2019
Vice President	Mairead McGuinness
Preceded by	Martin Schulz
Succeeded by	David Sassoli
First Vice-President of the European Parliament
In office 1 July 2014 – 18 January 2017
President	Martin Schulz
Preceded by	Gianni Pittella
Succeeded by	Mairead McGuinness
European Commissioner for Industry and Entrepreneurship
In office 9 February 2010 – 1 July 2014
President	José Manuel Barroso
Preceded by	Günter Verheugen
Succeeded by	Michel Barnier (Acting)
European Commissioner for Transport
In office 9 May 2008 – 9 February 2010
President	José Manuel Barroso
Preceded by	Jacques Barrot
Succeeded by	Siim Kallas
Member of the European Parliament
In office 1 July 2014 – 12 October 2022
Constituency	Central Italy
In office 14 July 1994 – 8 May 2008
Constituency	Central Italy

Personal details

Born

4 August 1953 (age 72)
Rome, Italy

Political party

FI (since 2013)

Other political
affiliations

UMI (1970s)
FI (1994–2009)
PdL (2009–2013)

Spouse

Brunella Orecchio

(m. 1988)

Children

Education

Sapienza University

Signature

Antonio Tajani (born 4 August 1953) is an Italian politician. He has been the Deputy Prime Minister of Italy and Minister of Foreign Affairs since October 2022.

Before this, he was the President of the European Parliament from 2017 to 2019. He also served as a European Commissioner from 2008 to 2014. He was a member of the European Parliament for many years, from 1994 to 2008 and again from 2014 to 2022. In 2022, he was elected to Italy's Chamber of Deputies.

After the death of Silvio Berlusconi in 2023, Antonio Tajani became the new leader of the political party called Forza Italia.

Antonio Tajani's Journey in Politics
Recognitions and Awards
Electoral History
Honours
Images for kids
See also

Antonio Tajani's Journey in Politics

Early Life and Education

Antonio Tajani was born in Rome, Italy. His mother was from Ferentino and his father from Vietri sul Mare. He went to Liceo Torquato Tasso in Rome. Later, he studied law at the Sapienza University of Rome.

He also served as a reserve officer in the Italian Air Force. He worked as an air defense controller. When he was young, Tajani was part of a student group that supported the idea of a monarchy in Italy. He always believed the House of Savoy royal family should be allowed to return to Italy.

Starting His Political Career

In 1994, Tajani helped create the Forza Italia political party. He was a key leader for the party in the Lazio region from 1994 to 2005.

From 1994 to 1995, he worked as a spokesman for the Prime Minister in Silvio Berlusconi's first government. In 1996, he ran for parliament but did not win. In 2001, he ran to become the mayor of Rome but was defeated.

Before politics, Tajani was a journalist. He worked as a parliamentary reporter and an editor. He also presented news on Rai and was the head of the Rome office for the Il Giornale newspaper. He traveled as a special reporter to places like Lebanon, the Soviet Union, and Somalia. He speaks Italian, English, French, and Spanish. He is married to Brunella Orecchio and has two children. He is also Roman Catholic.

Working in the European Parliament

In 1994, Antonio Tajani was first elected as a Member of the European Parliament (MEP). He was re-elected in 1999 and 2004. He led the Forza Italia group in the European Parliament from 1999 to 2008.

Since 2002, Tajani has been one of the vice-presidents of the European People's Party. He was re-elected to this role several times. In the 2004 European elections, he received many votes and joined the European People's Party.

As an MEP, he worked on the European Parliament's Committee on Foreign Affairs. He also worked on issues related to civil liberties and justice. He was part of the group that helped write the text for the European Constitution.

European Commissioner for Transport

Tajani and President of the European Commission José Manuel Barroso at the EPP congress in 2008

In May 2008, Antonio Tajani was chosen to be Italy's EU Commissioner. He took on the role of European Commissioner for Transport. The European Parliament officially approved him in June 2008. He also served as a Vice-President of the European Commission.

In this role, Tajani worked on a plan to help the airline Alitalia. He also helped create new EU Regulations for air travel. These rules aimed to protect passengers' rights. For example, passengers should get help and money back if their flight is canceled or delayed.

European Commissioner for Industry

In 2009, Tajani was reappointed as a European Commissioner. This time, he became the European Commissioner for Industry and Entrepreneurship. He continued to be one of the four Vice-Presidents of the Commission.

In October 2012, Antonio Tajani started a campaign for a new industrial revolution in Europe. His goal was to increase the value of industry to 20% of Europe's economy by 2020. This would create new jobs and help the economy grow in a sustainable way.

He also worked on a new rule called the Late Payments Directive. This rule helps stop delays in payments between businesses. Tajani wanted all countries to put this rule into action quickly.

Tajani at the EPP congress in 2012

In 2012, Tajani helped create a plan to make it easier to register cars in different European Union countries. This plan aimed to reduce the paperwork needed. It also made it harder to register stolen vehicles.

To fight against fake industrial goods, Tajani launched a campaign in December 2012. In February 2013, the European Commission also strengthened controls on products in the market. This included rules for "Made in" labels to better track products.

Tajani also presented a plan called CARS2020 in November 2012. This plan aimed to make the European car industry more competitive. It focused on using more energy-efficient and alternative energy sources.

He also worked on a plan to support entrepreneurs. This included measures to help businesses transfer ownership, get funding, and have a second chance after a bankruptcy.

Another project was "50,000 Tourists," launched in 2011. This project promoted tourism between Europe and South America during off-peak seasons. It encouraged cooperation between governments, tourism companies, and airlines.

In March 2013, the President of the European Commission, José Manuel Barroso, asked Tajani to lead a new working group with Brazil. This group looked for ways to work together in industrial sectors, especially in technology. In June 2013, Tajani presented a plan for the steel industry. This plan aimed to help the steel sector face challenges and grow by encouraging new ideas and creating jobs.

President of the European Parliament

President Tajani in March 2017

In January 2017, Antonio Tajani was elected President of the European Parliament. He was the first Italian to hold this important position since 1979. He won after four rounds of voting.

In March 2017, Tajani warned that Africa was at risk of becoming a "Chinese colony." He said that China was mainly interested in raw materials, not in helping Africa become stable.

In February 2018, Silvio Berlusconi suggested Tajani as his choice for Prime Minister if the center-right parties won the general election in March. Tajani accepted this idea.

In January 2019, Tajani hoped to be re-elected for another term. However, he was replaced by another Italian politician, David Sassoli.

Minister of Foreign Affairs and Leader of Forza Italia

Tajani with US Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken in Münster in November 2022

Tajani with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte in Brussels in April 2025

After the 2022 election, the center-right parties won. On October 22, 2022, Giorgia Meloni became Italy's first female prime minister. Antonio Tajani became the deputy prime minister in her government. He was also appointed as the minister of foreign affairs.

On June 12, 2023, Silvio Berlusconi passed away. A few days later, the Forza Italia party announced that Tajani was unanimously elected as the party's new leader.

In January 2024, Tajani stated that while Israel had affected civilians in its war against Hamas in Gaza, it had not committed genocide. He also said that Italy would not arrest Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

However, in May 2025, Tajani changed his view. He described Israel’s military actions as "dramatic and unacceptable." He called for an immediate halt to operations in Gaza. He also spoke against the forced removal of Palestinians from Gaza. Tajani stressed the importance of following international humanitarian law and resuming humanitarian aid. He also said Italy was willing to join a peacekeeping mission led by Arab countries.

Recognitions and Awards

Antonio Tajani has received several awards for his work:

April 2, 2014: He received the Aragon Empresa Award for his efforts in supporting industry and entrepreneurship.
February 10, 2014: He received the Innovadores Award from El Mundo for his support of industry, entrepreneurship, and innovation.
April 17, 2012: He was honored for his commitment to small and medium-sized businesses and European Union integration.
March 28, 2012: He received a prize from the Optical Society of America for promoting important technologies.
March 19, 2012: He received the Europe Prize 2011 for his strong support of businesses and promoting Italy's image in Europe.
November 21, 2011: He received the International Journalism Prize "Argil: European man" for communicating about Europe.

Electoral History

Election	House	Constituency		Votes	Result
1994	European Parliament	Central Italy	FI	50,991	Y Elected
1999	European Parliament	Central Italy	FI	55,240	Y Elected
2004	European Parliament	Central Italy	FI	123,201	Y Elected
2014	European Parliament	Central Italy	FI	109,720	Y Elected
2019	European Parliament	Central Italy	FI	69,026	Y Elected
2022	Chamber of Deputies	Lazio 1 – Velletri	FI	105,628	Y Elected