Giuseppe Conte facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Giuseppe Conte
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Conte in 2018
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| Prime Minister of Italy | |
| In office 1 June 2018 – 13 February 2021 |
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| President | Sergio Mattarella |
| Deputy | Luigi Di Maio (2018–19) Matteo Salvini (2018–19) |
| Preceded by | Paolo Gentiloni |
| Succeeded by | Mario Draghi |
| Leader of the Five Star Movement | |
| Assumed office 6 August 2021 |
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| Preceded by | Vito Crimi (acting) |
| Member of the Chamber of Deputies | |
| Assumed office 13 October 2022 |
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| Constituency | Lombardy 1 |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 8 August 1964 Volturara Appula, Apulia, Italy |
| Political party | M5S (since 2021) |
| Other political affiliations |
Independent (before 2021) |
| Spouse | Valentina Fico (div.) |
| Domestic partner | Olivia Paladino |
| Children | 1 |
| Education | Sapienza University |
| Signature |  |
Giuseppe Conte (born 8 August 1964) is an Italian lawyer, university professor, and politician. He was the Prime Minister of Italy from June 2018 to February 2021. Since August 2021, he has been the leader of the Five Star Movement (M5S), a political party.
Before becoming prime minister, Conte spent most of his career teaching private law at universities. He had never held a political job before. In 2018, after the general election, he was chosen to lead a government made up of two parties: the Five Star Movement and the League. He became prime minister on 1 June 2018.
In August 2019, the League party tried to remove him from power. Conte offered to resign, but the Five Star Movement and the Democratic Party formed a new government, and Conte stayed as prime minister. This was special because he led two different governments with partners from both the right-wing and left-wing of politics.
During his time as prime minister, Conte introduced important changes. These included a guaranteed minimum income for people, a plan to reduce the number of politicians in parliament, and taking over some big companies like Italy's highway company and national airline. He also made rules stricter for illegal immigration. In 2020, Italy was hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic. His government was the first in the Western world to put the whole country on lockdown to stop the virus.
In January 2021, a political party called Italia Viva stopped supporting Conte's government. Even though he won votes to stay in power, he decided to resign. This led to a new government being formed by Mario Draghi.
Conte was the fifth prime minister in Italy to be chosen without having political experience before. He was also the longest-serving independent prime minister in Italy's history. People sometimes called him "the people's lawyer" because he said that about himself.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Giuseppe Conte was born on 8 August 1964, in a town called Volturara Appula, near Foggia. His father worked for the local government, and his mother was an elementary school teacher.
He went to high school in San Marco in Lamis and then studied law at the Sapienza University of Rome. He graduated with high honours in 1988. In 1992, he became a lawyer. He also studied in the United States at Yale Law School and Duquesne University, and in Vienna, Austria. He later did research or taught at other famous universities around the world.
Conte began teaching at universities in the 1990s. Today, he is a professor of private law at the University of Florence and LUISS University in Rome.
Prime Minister of Italy (2018–2021)
Forming the First Government
In February 2018, the leader of the Five Star Movement, Luigi Di Maio, suggested Giuseppe Conte could be a minister if his party won the election. The election ended with no single party having enough votes to form a government easily. The Five Star Movement won the most votes, but the League party and its allies also had many seats.
After weeks of talks, the Five Star Movement and the League agreed to form a government together. On 23 May, Conte was asked by President Sergio Mattarella to become the new prime minister. Conte said he would be the "defence lawyer of the Italian people."
However, there was a disagreement about who should be the Minister of Economy. The League wanted a professor named Paolo Savona, but President Mattarella did not agree because Savona had strong opinions about leaving the Eurozone. Because of this, Conte resigned his role on 27 May.
After more talks, the Five Star Movement and the League found a new agreement. Savona became the Minister of European Affairs instead. On 31 May, they announced that Conte would lead the government.
First Conte Government
On 1 June 2018, Giuseppe Conte officially became the new prime minister of Italy. His government was mostly made up of members from the Five Star Movement and the League. It also included some experts who were not part of any political party.
The leaders of the two main parties, Matteo Salvini (League) and Luigi Di Maio (Five Star Movement), both became Deputy Prime Ministers. Salvini became the Minister of the Interior, focusing on reducing illegal immigration. Di Maio became the Minister of Economic Development and Labour, working to introduce a universal basic income.
This government was often called the "Government of Change" because it promised many new policies.
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In his first speech, Conte said he wanted to reduce illegal immigration and fight against human traffickers. He also wanted to fight political corruption, reduce taxes, and cut money spent on politicians. Conte also suggested lifting international rules against Russia.
The Italian Parliament supported his government. The Senate voted in favour with 171 votes, and the Chamber of Deputies voted in favour with 350 votes.
Resignation and Second Government
In August 2019, there were growing problems between the parties in Conte's government. Deputy Prime Minister Salvini tried to remove Conte from power, hoping for new elections. On 20 August, Conte gave a speech where he accused Salvini of being selfish. He then resigned as prime minister.
After Conte resigned, the Five Star Movement and the Democratic Party decided to form a new government together. On 28 August, the Democratic Party leader said they wanted Conte to stay as prime minister. President Mattarella then asked Conte to form a new government.
On 4 September, Conte announced the ministers for his new government. They were sworn in the next day. Both the Chamber of Deputies and the Senate voted to support this new government. This meant Conte was still prime minister.
2021 Government Crisis and Resignation
Towards the end of 2020, there were disagreements within Conte's government, especially with Matteo Renzi, the leader of the Italia Viva party. Renzi wanted big changes to the government's plans for economic recovery after the COVID-19 pandemic.
On 13 January 2021, Renzi announced that his party's ministers would resign. This caused Conte's government to collapse. Conte still had support from many of his ministers. On 18 January, his government won a vote of confidence in the Chamber of Deputies. The next day, he also won a vote in the Senate, but he did not get a very strong majority.
On 26 January, after talks to find more support failed, Conte resigned as prime minister. He said that Italy needed a government with stronger support to deal with the ongoing emergency. President Mattarella then asked Mario Draghi, a former head of the European Central Bank, to form a new government. Conte supported Draghi, asking his party to join the new government.
Key Policies and Actions
Economic Policies
One of the main ideas of Conte's first government was to change Italy's tax system. They wanted to introduce a lower tax rate for small businesses and self-employed people. His second government, which was more left-leaning, also kept this idea.
His first government also started the "citizens' income" program. This program gives a basic income and help finding a job to poor people and families. It was designed to help those in need and was continued by his second government.
In September 2019, Conte's second government launched a "Green New Deal." This plan aimed to fight climate change and reduce economic inequality, similar to a plan in the United States. He praised young people who protested for climate action, saying the government was committed to finding solutions.
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During the COVID-19 pandemic in April 2020, Conte strongly supported the idea of issuing "Eurobonds." These are shared loans for European countries to help with the crisis. He argued that if Europe was a union, it needed to act together. In July 2020, Conte and other European leaders agreed on a big recovery package called "Next Generation EU." Italy would receive a large amount of money from this fund to help its economy recover.
Immigration Policies
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When Conte became prime minister in 2018, he quickly worked to control immigration to Italy. Since 2013, many migrants had arrived in Italy by boat from Libya. Conte and his Interior Minister, Matteo Salvini, made stricter rules about immigration and public safety.
In June 2018, Salvini announced that Italian ports would be closed to ships rescuing immigrants in the Mediterranean Sea. In September 2018, the government passed a "Salvini decree." This law made it harder for migrants to get protection and easier for them to be sent away. This decree was later cancelled in December 2020.
In September 2019, Italy and four other European countries agreed on a plan to manage the migrant crisis and share the responsibility for people rescued from the Mediterranean. This was seen as a success for Conte and his new interior minister.
Ponte Morandi Bridge Collapse
On 14 August 2018, a large section of the Ponte Morandi bridge in Genoa collapsed during a heavy rainstorm. This terrible event killed 43 people.
The day after the collapse, Conte declared a state of emergency for the region. The government also put pressure on the company that managed the highway, Autostrade per l’Italia (ASPI). There were calls to take away the company's license and make it a state-owned company.
The damaged parts of the bridge were removed in June 2019. A new bridge, designed by a famous Italian architect, was built quickly. On 3 August 2020, the new bridge, called Saint George Bridge, was opened by Conte and President Mattarella.
Nationalizing the Highway Company
In July 2020, the government and Atlantia, the company that owned ASPI, reached an agreement. This agreement meant that the Italian state would take over most of the national highway company ASPI. This was a big step towards nationalizing the company, meaning the government would own and control it.
Constitutional Reform
Under Conte's governments, the Italian Parliament approved a reform to reduce the number of politicians. This reform would shrink the number of deputies from 630 to 400 and senators from 315 to 200.
Conte said this change would make the parliament work better and bring citizens closer to their government. A referendum (a public vote) was held in September 2020 to approve the reform. Italians largely voted in favour, with almost 70% saying yes.
COVID-19 Pandemic Response
In February 2020, Italy became one of the first countries outside of China to have many cases of COVID-19.
In late January, the government stopped all flights to and from China. On 22 February, the government announced rules to control the outbreak, putting over 50,000 people in northern Italy under quarantine. Schools and universities across the country were closed.
On 8 March 2020, Prime Minister Conte extended the quarantine to all of Lombardy and 14 other northern provinces. The next day, he announced that these rules would apply to the entire country, putting 60 million people on lockdown. This was one of the largest lockdowns in history.
Even though many people supported the lockdown, some said it limited people's rights. However, the Italian Constitution allows travel limits for health reasons.
On 20 March, the government made rules for movement even stricter. The next day, Conte announced that all non-essential businesses and industries would close. On 10 April, Conte extended the lockdown until 3 May, but allowed some specific businesses to reopen. He also created a team to plan Italy's recovery after the crisis.
On 26 April, Conte announced "Phase 2," which started on 4 May. People could move more freely within their towns but not between regions, unless for work or health reasons. Some factories reopened, but schools, bars, and restaurants stayed closed. On 18 May, the lockdown officially ended, and bars, restaurants, and gyms reopened, though travel between regions was still limited.
In October 2020, cases started to rise again. The government extended the state of emergency and introduced new rules. These included limits on opening hours for bars and restaurants, and making masks mandatory outdoors in some areas. On 25 October, gyms, swimming pools, theatres, and cinemas were closed, and bars and restaurants had to close by 6 pm.
On 4 November 2020, Conte announced a new lockdown system. The country was divided into three zones (red, orange, and yellow) based on how severe the pandemic was in each area. A national curfew was also put in place. In red zones, rules were very strict, similar to the first lockdown.
To prevent cases from rising during the Christmas holidays, the government limited movement between regions and towns. On 18 December, Conte announced that the whole country would be a "red zone" on Christmas Day and other holidays.
Foreign Policy
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Conte's foreign policy was friendly towards Russia. He wanted to remove international rules against Russia, saying they hurt Italy's economy. He also saw Russia as a partner in fighting terrorism. However, Conte always said that Italy would remain a strong member of NATO and a close friend of the United States.
Conte also built a close relationship with U.S. President Donald Trump. Trump often called Conte a "great leader" and a "privileged friend" in Europe. In 2019, Trump supported Conte during a government crisis, hoping he would stay prime minister.
In March 2019, Conte and Chinese President Xi Jinping signed agreements worth billions of euros. This included a plan for China's "Belt and Road Initiative" investments in Italy. Other Western countries criticized Italy's decision to join this plan.
In January 2020, the situation in the Libyan Civil War became very serious. Conte met with the main leaders involved in the war to try and find a solution.
Conte criticized the 2019 Turkish military action in Syria, saying it put civilians and stability at risk.
In November 2020, Italian investigators found evidence against five Egyptian agents in the 2016 murder of an Italian student, Giulio Regeni. Conte told the Egyptian President to cooperate with Italian authorities, threatening to remove Italy's ambassador if they did not.
After Being Prime Minister (2021–present)
Leader of the Five Star Movement
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On 28 February 2021, after his time as prime minister ended, Conte joined the Five Star Movement. The party's founder, Beppe Grillo, asked Conte to write new rules for the party and become its new leader. In August 2021, Conte easily won the election to become the party's new president.
In 2022, there were disagreements within the Five Star Movement between Conte and Luigi Di Maio. Di Maio left the party with several other politicians to form a new group.
On 13 July 2022, Conte announced that the Five Star Movement would no longer support Mario Draghi's government. This caused a new political crisis. Draghi resigned as prime minister, and new elections were called for 25 September 2022.
In the election, Conte's Five Star Movement ran alone and received 15.4% of the votes. Conte was elected to the Chamber of Deputies.
Personal Life
Giuseppe Conte was married to Valentina Fico, a lawyer, and they have a son named Niccolò, born in 2007. They later divorced. By 2018, Conte was engaged to Olivia Paladino.
Conte is a big fan of the A.S. Roma football team. He is a Roman Catholic and follows Padre Pio. Besides Italian, Conte also speaks English.
Electoral History
| Election | House | Constituency | Party | Votes | Result | |
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| 2022 | Chamber of Deputies | Lombardy 1 | M5S | – |  Elected |
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Images for kids
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Conte during a press conference at the Quirinal Palace after accepting the task of forming a new cabinet
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Queue in front of a supermarket after the introduction of social distancing rules in March 2020
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Conte with President Mattarella and Minister Luciana Lamorgese in October 2020
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Conte with Russian President Vladimir Putin in October 2018
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Conte with U.S. President Donald Trump in December 2019
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See also
In Spanish: Giuseppe Conte para niños
