Luigi Einaudi

Luigi Einaudi
2nd President of Italy
In office May 12, 1948 – May 11, 1955
Prime Minister	Alcide De Gasperi Giuseppe Pella Amintore Fanfani Mario Scelba
Preceded by	Enrico De Nicola
Succeeded by	Giovanni Gronchi
Governor of Banca d'Italia
In office 1945–1948
Preceded by	Vincenzo Azzolini
Succeeded by	Donato Menichella
Lifetime Senator
In office May 11, 1955 – October 30, 1961
Constituency	Former President
Personal details
Born	March 24, 1874(1874-03-24) Carrù, Italy
Died	October 30, 1961(1961-10-30) (aged 87) Rome, Italy
Nationality	Italian
Political party	Italian Liberal Party
Spouse(s)	Ida Pellegrini
Religion	Roman Catholicism
Signature

Luigi Einaudi (Italian pronunciation: [luˈiːʤi eiˈnaːudi]), Cavaliere di Gran Croce decorato di Gran Cordone OMRI^[1] (March 24, 1874 – October 30, 1961) was an Italian politician and economist. He served as the second President of the Italian Republic between 1948 and 1955.

Early life

Einaudi was born to Lorenzo and Placida Fracchia in Carrù, in the province of Cuneo, Piemonte. In Turin he attended Liceo classico Cavour and completed his university studies; in the same years he became acquainted with socialist ideas and collaborated with the magazine Critica sociale, directed by the socialist leader Filippo Turati. In 1895, after overcoming financial difficulties, he graduated in jurisprudence, and was later appointed as professor in the University of Turin, the Polytechnic University of Turin and the Bocconi University of Milan.

Early political life

From the early 20th century Einaudi moved increasingly towards a more conservative stance. In 1919 he was named Senator of the Kingdom of Italy. He also worked as a journalist for important Italian newspapers such as La Stampa and Il Corriere della Sera, as well as being financial correspondent for The Economist. An anti-fascist, he stopped working for Italian newspapers from 1926, under the Fascist regime, resuming his professional relationship with the Corriere della Sera after the fall of the regime in 1943. After the Armistice (September 8, 1943) he fled to Switzerland, returning to Italy in 1944.

Einaudi was Governor of the Bank of Italy from January 5, 1945 until May 11, 1948, and was also a founding member of the Consulta Nazionale which opened the way to the new Parliament of the Italian Republic after World War II. Later he was Minister of Finances, Treasury and Balance, as well as Vice-Premier, in 1947-1948.

President of the Italian Republic

On May 11, 1948 he was elected the second President of the Italian Republic. At the end of the seven year term of office in 1955 he became Life Senator.

Einaudi was a member of numerous cultural, economic and university institutions. He was a supporter of the ideal of European Federalism. He also personally managed the activities of his farm near Dogliani, where he applied the most advanced agricultural developments.

Luigi Einaudi died in Rome in 1961.

Family

Both his son Giulio, a prominent Italian publisher, and his grandson, Ludovico, a minimalist composer, have subsequently made names for themselves.

Another son, Mario, was a Cornell University professor and active anti-fascist. The Mario Einaudi Center For International Studies is named after him. Additionally, Luigi founded the Fondazione Luigi Einaudi in Turin in honor of his father.

Bibliography

• Principi di scienza delle finanze (1932)
• Il buon governo (1954)
• Prediche inutili (1956-1959)
• Tracotanze protezionistiche (1919)
• Via il Prefetto (1944)

External links

• Biography at the Official Website of Presidency of Italian Republic (Italian)

References

1. ^ quirinale.it

Luigi Einaudi v t e Presidents of the Italian Republic De Nicola • Einaudi • Gronchi • Segni • Saragat • Leone • Pertini • Cossiga • Scalfaro • Ciampi • Napolitano