Letta, Enrico

Letta, Enrico,

1966–, Italian political leader, b. Pisa. He actively entered politics in 1994, joining the center-left Italian People's party. He held a post in the finance ministry as Italy prepared for the euro and shortly after was appointed (1998) minister of European affairs, becoming the youngest member of the cabinet since the end of World War II. He was subsequently (1999–2001) minister of industry, but left the cabinet when BerlusconiBerlusconi, Silvio
, 1936–, Italian business executive and politician, premier (1994; 2001–6, 2008–11) of Italy, b. Milan. His first fortune was made in real estate during the 1960s.
..... Click the link for more information.
's coalition won the election in 2001. That year he won a seat in the Chamber of Deputies, serving there until 2004 and then again from 2006; from 2004 to 2006 he was a member of the European parliament. In 2006 he became secretary of the council of ministers in the government of Romano ProdiProdi, Romano
, 1939–, Italian politician, premier of Italy (1996–98, 2006–8), b. Scandiano. Educated at the Catholic Univ. of Milan (grad. 1961), he is a trained economist and served (1978–79) as Italy's minister for industry; he also was a professor of
..... Click the link for more information.
, succeeding his uncle, Gianni Letta, who had held the post in the Berlusconi cabinet. Letta was (2007) a founding member of the left-center Democratic party (PD) and ran unsuccessfully for its leadership; he became deputy party leader in 2009. After two months of deadlock following the 2013 election, President NapolitanoNapolitano, Giorgio,
1925–, Italian political leader, b. Naples. He studied law at the Univ. of Naples, and was a member of the Communist party from 1945 until its dissolution in 1991, when he joined the Democratic party of the Left, later the Democrats of the Left.
..... Click the link for more information.
 named Letta premier, and he soon formed a broad coalition government. He resigned in early 2014 after conflicts with the new PD leader, Matteo Renzi, who accused Letta of proceeding too slowly with reforms.