Paolo Gentiloni facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Paolo Gentiloni
Official portrait, 2019
European Commissioner for Economy
In office 1 December 2019 – 30 November 2024
President	Ursula von der Leyen
Preceded by	Pierre Moscovici
Succeeded by	Valdis Dombrovskis
Prime Minister of Italy
In office 12 December 2016 – 1 June 2018
President	Sergio Mattarella
Preceded by	Matteo Renzi
Succeeded by	Giuseppe Conte
Minister of Foreign Affairs
In office 31 October 2014 – 12 December 2016
Prime Minister	Matteo Renzi
Preceded by	Federica Mogherini
Succeeded by	Angelino Alfano
Minister of Communications
In office 17 May 2006 – 8 May 2008
Prime Minister	Romano Prodi
Preceded by	Mario Landolfi
Succeeded by	Claudio Scajola
President of the Democratic Party
In office 17 March 2019 – 22 February 2020
Secretary	Nicola Zingaretti
Preceded by	Matteo Orfini
Succeeded by	Valentina Cuppi
Member of the Chamber of Deputies
In office 30 May 2001 – 2 December 2019
Constituency	Piedmont (2001–2006) Lazio (2006–2018) Rome (2018–2019)
Personal details
Born	Paolo Gentiloni Silveri (1954-11-22) 22 November 1954 (age 70) Rome, Italy
Political party	MLS (1976–1981) PdUP (1981–1984) Dem (1999–2002) DL (2002–2007) PD (since 2007)
Height	1.77 m (5 ft 10 in)
Spouse	Emanuela Mauro ​ (m. 1989)​
Education	Sapienza University of Rome
Signature

Paolo Gentiloni Silveri (born 22 November 1954) is an Italian politician. He was the European Commissioner for Economy from 2019 to 2024. Before that, he served as the Prime Minister of Italy from December 2016 to June 2018.

Gentiloni had a long career in local politics before being elected to the Chamber of Deputies in 2001. He was the Minister of Communications from 2006 to 2008. In 2007, he helped create the Democratic Party and later became its president from 2019 to 2020. He also served as Minister of Foreign Affairs from 2014 to 2016. When the previous Prime Minister, Matteo Renzi, resigned, President Sergio Mattarella chose Gentiloni to become Prime Minister on 12 December 2016.

Even though many thought he would only be a temporary Prime Minister, Gentiloni managed to pass important reforms. These included new laws for healthcare and a new way to vote in elections. He also brought in stricter rules for immigration. In terms of foreign policy, he worked to strengthen Italy's ties with Europe and Arab countries. He also helped improve relations with India after some difficult years. Gentiloni resigned as Prime Minister after the 2018 elections. In 2019, he was chosen to be Italy's new European Commissioner, where he took on the important role of overseeing the European Union Economy.

Early Life and Education

Paolo Gentiloni was born in Rome, Italy, in 1954. He comes from a noble family. As a child, he went to a Montessori school. He later studied political science at the Sapienza University of Rome. Before becoming a politician, Gentiloni worked as a journalist. In 1989, he married Emanuela Mauro, an architect. They do not have children. Gentiloni speaks English, French, and German fluently.

Starting His Political Journey

In the 1970s, Paolo Gentiloni was part of student groups. He later joined a socialist political group. Over time, he moved towards more moderate ideas, especially focusing on green politics and protecting the environment. He became the director of an environmental newspaper called La Nuova Ecologia. This is where he met Francesco Rutelli, who would later become the Mayor of Rome.

Working for Rome City Council

In 1993, Gentiloni helped Francesco Rutelli become Mayor of Rome. After Rutelli won, Gentiloni was given a role in the Rome City Council, focusing on tourism. He held this job until 2001.

Becoming a Member of Parliament

In 2001, Gentiloni was elected as a Member of Parliament. This marked the start of his national political career. He helped create a Christian-left party called The Daisy in 2002. From 2005 to 2006, he led a committee that watched over the state TV broadcaster, RAI.

In 2006, he was re-elected and became the Minister for Communications in Romano Prodi's government. As minister, he tried to change the rules for Italian television, but his plans were not approved.

In 2007, he was one of the people who helped create the Democratic Party. He was re-elected to Parliament in 2008 and 2013. In 2013, he supported Matteo Renzi to become the leader of the Democratic Party.

Minister of Foreign Affairs

Gentiloni with United States Secretary of State John Kerry in Rome in June 2016.

On 31 October 2014, Prime Minister Matteo Renzi appointed Gentiloni as the Italian Minister of Foreign Affairs. This was a surprise to many, as he wasn't known as an expert in international relations.

As Foreign Minister, Gentiloni worked to find a balanced path for Italy during many international crises, like the wars in Libya and Syria. He built strong relationships with the US and kept open talks with Russia.

In February 2015, Gentiloni said that Italy would be ready to fight against the Islamic State (IS) in Libya if needed. After this, ISIL threatened him. In July 2015, a car bomb exploded outside the Italian consulate in Cairo, Egypt, and ISIL claimed responsibility. Gentiloni stated that Italy would not be scared and would continue fighting terrorism.

Gentiloni with Boris Johnson and Federica Mogherini in September 2016.

He also helped negotiate the release of Italian citizens who were taken hostage by terrorists in Syria. A sad event during his time was the murder of Giulio Regeni, an Italian student killed in Cairo in 2016. His death caused tensions between Italy and Egypt.

Prime Minister of Italy

Gentiloni with Matteo Renzi during the swearing-in ceremony.

On 7 December 2016, Prime Minister Matteo Renzi resigned. On 11 December, President Mattarella asked Gentiloni to form a new government. Gentiloni officially became Prime Minister on 12 December. His government was supported by the same parties that had supported Renzi.

Key Policies and Reforms

• Healthcare: In May 2017, his government made more vaccines mandatory for children to attend school. In December 2017, a law was passed that made "living wills" legal in Italy. This means people can decide what medical care they want if they can't make decisions later.
• Jobs: In March 2017, the government stopped the use of "labour vouchers," which were used for one-off jobs. This was done to avoid a public vote on the issue. By March 2018, the unemployment rate in Italy was lower than in previous years, especially for young people.
• Immigration: Gentiloni faced a big challenge with many people illegally immigrating to Italy. In February 2017, he made deals with Libya and Tunisia to try and stop migrants from crossing the Mediterranean Sea. His government also introduced stricter rules for NGOs that rescue people at sea. In December 2017, Italy sent soldiers to Niger to help fight against human traffickers and terrorism.

New Electoral Law

After a proposed change to the constitution failed, Parliament needed to create a new voting law. The new law, called Rosatellum, was similar to one used in Italy from 1993 to 2005. It combined two ways of voting: some seats were won by the candidate with the most votes, and others were given based on the percentage of votes a party received. This law was approved in October 2017.

Foreign Policy as Prime Minister

Paolo Gentiloni with U.S. President Donald Trump in April 2017

Paolo Gentiloni strongly supported European integration. As Prime Minister, he dealt with challenges like the European debt crisis and civil wars in Libya and Syria. He built good relationships with leaders like Justin Trudeau (Canada), Theresa May (UK), Angela Merkel (Germany), and Emmanuel Macron (France).

In April 2017, he visited the White House and met U.S. President Donald Trump. They talked about the crises in Libya and Syria and fighting terrorism. Gentiloni also hosted the 43rd G7 summit in Taormina, Sicily, in May 2017.

He also worked to build close ties with Arab countries in the Persian Gulf, especially for oil and business deals. He visited Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates.

Gentiloni with Russian President Vladimir Putin in May 2017

In May 2017, he visited China to discuss the "One Belt One Road Initiative," a big plan for trade and connections across Asia and Europe. He also met Russian President Vladimir Putin in Sochi, where they hoped for better relations between Russia and NATO.

In October 2017, Gentiloni visited India and met Prime Minister Narendra Modi. This visit helped improve relations between the two countries after some years of tension. He was the first Italian leader to visit India in ten years.

Gentiloni also focused on strengthening Italy's ties with African countries, especially on renewable energy and fighting terrorism. He visited Tunisia, Angola, Ghana, and Ivory Coast in November 2017.

End of His Term

On 28 December 2017, President Sergio Mattarella called for new elections. Gentiloni remained Prime Minister until 1 June 2018, when Giuseppe Conte became the new Prime Minister. After leaving office, Gentiloni continued to be a Member of Parliament. In March 2019, he became the President of the Democratic Party.

European Commissioner for Economy

Gentiloni before the European Parliament as candidate for Commissioner for Economy.

In August 2019, a new government was formed in Italy, and it decided to nominate Gentiloni as Italy's new European Commissioner. On 10 September, Ursula von der Leyen, the head of the European Commission, announced that Gentiloni would be the Commissioner for Economy. This role means he helps manage the economy of the entire European Union.

On 30 November, Gentiloni left his role as a Member of Parliament after almost 19 years. He officially started his new job in the European Commission on 1 December 2019.

In March 2020, Gentiloni was part of a special team to help the European Union respond to the COVID-19 pandemic. This team created the Next Generation EU program, a huge plan worth €750 billion to help countries recover from the economic effects of the pandemic.

Health Update

On 10 January 2017, after a trip to Paris, Gentiloni had a heart problem and needed emergency surgery. The next day, he tweeted that he was feeling well and would be back at work soon. He received many well wishes from leaders around the world.

Electoral History

Election	House	Constituency	Party		Votes	Result
2001	Chamber of Deputies	Piedmont 2		DL	–	Y Elected
2006	Chamber of Deputies	Lazio 1		Ulivo	–	Y Elected
2008	Chamber of Deputies	Lazio 1		PD	–	Y Elected
2013	Chamber of Deputies	Lazio 1		PD	–	Y Elected
2018	Chamber of Deputies	Rome–Trionfale		PD	47,737	Y Elected

First-past-the-post elections

See also

In Spanish: Paolo Gentiloni para niños