Mario Monti facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Senator for life
Mario Monti
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Monti in 2012
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| Prime Minister of Italy | |
| In office 16 November 2011 – 28 April 2013 |
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| President | Giorgio Napolitano |
| Preceded by | Silvio Berlusconi |
| Succeeded by | Enrico Letta |
| Minister of Economy and Finance | |
| In office 16 November 2011 – 11 July 2012 |
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| Prime Minister | Himself |
| Preceded by | Giulio Tremonti |
| Succeeded by | Vittorio Grilli |
| European Commissioner for Competition | |
| In office 15 September 1999 – 30 October 2004 |
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| President | Romano Prodi |
| Preceded by | Karel Van Miert |
| Succeeded by | Neelie Kroes |
| European Commissioner for Internal Market, Services, Customs and Taxation | |
| In office 18 January 1995 – 15 September 1999 |
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| President | Jacques Santer |
| Preceded by | Raniero Vanni d'Archirafi |
| Succeeded by | Frits Bolkestein |
| President of Bocconi University | |
| In office 6 September 1994 – 1 November 2022 |
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| Preceded by | Giovanni Spadolini |
| Succeeded by | Andrea Sironi |
| Member of the Senate of the Republic | |
| Life tenure 9 November 2011 |
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| Appointed by | Giorgio Napolitano |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 19 March 1943 Varese, Lombardy, Kingdom of Italy |
| Political party | Independent (1995–2013; since 2015) Civic Choice (2013–2015) |
| Spouse |
Elsa Antonioli
(m. 1970) |
| Children | 2 |
| Alma mater | Bocconi University Yale University |
| Signature |  |
Mario Monti (born 19 March 1943) is an Italian politician, economist, and professor. He was the Prime Minister of Italy from 2011 to 2013. During this time, he led a special "technocratic government." This means his government was made up of experts, not elected politicians, to help Italy during a big economic crisis.
Before becoming Prime Minister, Monti was a European Commissioner from 1995 to 2004. He worked on important topics like fair competition between businesses in Europe. He also served as the head of Bocconi University in Milan for many years. In 2011, Italy's President, Giorgio Napolitano, asked Monti to form a new government to fix the country's financial problems.
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Early Life and Education
Mario Monti was born in Varese, Italy, on March 19, 1943. His family had roots in both Italy and Argentina. His grandfather had moved to Argentina in the 1800s.
Monti went to school in Milan at Bocconi University. He earned a degree in economics in 1965. Later, he received a scholarship to study at Yale University in the United States. There, he learned from James Tobin, a famous economist who won a Nobel Prize.
Academic Career
Monti started his career as a professor. He taught economics at the University of Turin for 15 years. Then, he moved to Bocconi University, where he became the head (Rector) in 1989 and later the President in 1994.
He also helped create a special economic idea called the "Klein-Monti model." This model helps explain how banks behave when they have a lot of control over the market.
Working for Europe
European Commissioner Role
In 1994, Mario Monti became a European Commissioner. This is like being a minister for the whole of Europe. He was in charge of things like the European single market, financial services, and taxes. His hard work earned him the nickname "Super Mario" from his colleagues.
In 1999, he was given an even more important job: the European Commissioner for Competition. This role meant he had to make sure businesses competed fairly. He looked into big company mergers (when two companies join together) to prevent one company from becoming too powerful.
For example, he investigated big companies like General Electric and Microsoft. In 2004, he made Microsoft pay a very large fine because it was using its strong position in the market unfairly.
Some people thought his decisions were too strict, especially when he stopped some big mergers. But his supporters believed he was doing important work to make sure competition rules in Europe were fair for everyone.
In 2002, Monti suggested new ways to make the rules for company mergers clearer and more open. These changes were adopted by the European Union.
After his second term as Commissioner ended in 2004, the Italian Prime Minister at the time chose not to re-appoint him.
Helping the Single Market
In 2010, the President of the European Commission asked Monti to write a report. This report was about how to make Europe's "Single Market" even better. The Single Market allows goods, services, money, and people to move freely between EU countries. Monti's report suggested 12 ways to improve it, hoping to boost Europe's economy.
Prime Minister of Italy
Becoming Prime Minister
In November 2011, Italy was facing a serious economic crisis. President Giorgio Napolitano appointed Mario Monti as a Senator for life. Soon after, the Prime Minister resigned, and President Napolitano asked Monti to form a new government.
Monti agreed and formed a "technocratic" government. This meant all the ministers were experts in their fields, not elected politicians. The goal was to fix Italy's economy. Monti himself also took on the role of Minister of Economy and Finances at first. Both houses of the Italian Parliament supported his new government.
Economic Changes
To help Italy's economy, Monti's government quickly introduced new rules. These rules included raising taxes, changing the pension system, and fighting against people who avoided paying taxes. Monti even gave up his own salary as Prime Minister to show his commitment. The Italian Parliament approved these measures.
Workplace Reforms
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In 2012, Monti's government also worked on changing Italy's labor laws. The idea was to make it easier for companies to hire and fire workers, hoping this would encourage businesses to create more jobs. They also wanted to open up certain jobs, like taxi drivers and lawyers, to more competition.
These changes were met with strong protests from labor unions. However, the government worked with unions to find a compromise.
2013 Election
In December 2012, Monti announced he would resign as Prime Minister after the budget was passed. He then decided to run in the 2013 general election as the leader of a new group called Civic Choice.
His group came in fourth place in the election. Monti remained Prime Minister until a new government was formed in April 2013, led by Enrico Letta.
Political Career
Lifetime Senator
As a Senator for life, Monti continues to be a member of the Italian Senate. He joined the "Civic Choice" political group in the Senate, becoming the first lifetime senator to officially join a party group. He also became a member of the Commission for Foreign Affairs.
Leading Civic Choice
In January 2013, Monti launched "Civic Choice" as a political group to help carry out his plans for Italy. He became the President of this party in May 2013. However, he resigned in October 2013 due to disagreements with some other senators in the party.
Other Activities
Mario Monti is also involved in many other important groups. He helped start Bruegel, a European "think tank" (a group that researches and advises on policy). He was its first president.
He is also a leading member of the Bilderberg Group, a private conference that brings together important people from different fields. Monti has also advised big companies like Goldman Sachs and The Coca-Cola Company.
In 2010, he became the President of the Trilateral Commission, another group that discusses global issues. He has worked on projects to help European countries work together more closely. In 2020, the World Health Organization asked him to lead a group looking at how to make health systems stronger.
Personal Life
Mario Monti has been married to Elsa Antonioli since 1970. She is a volunteer for the Italian Red Cross. They have two children, Federica and Giovanni.
Monti is known for being a private person. He has said that he spent his youth studying hard. For fun, he enjoyed cycling and listening to international news on short-wave radio. Besides Italian, he also speaks English.
Awards and Decorations
National Honours
Italy:
Knight Grand Cross of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic (29 November 2004)
Commander of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic (27 December 1992)
Foreign Honours
Japan:
Grand Cordon of the Order of the Rising Sun (3 November 2015)
See also
In Spanish: Mario Monti para niños
- List of prime ministers of Italy
- Monti Cabinet
- Monti's Agenda for Italy
Images for kids
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Mario Monti's signature
