Born in Venice in 1950, he is an economist, politician, and essayist.

Since April 2023, he has been President of the CNEL.

Since March 2022, he has been President of the Venice World Capital of Sustainability Foundation, appointed by the then Prime Minister Draghi.

From February 2021 to October 2022, he was Minister for Public Administration, XVIII legislature, Draghi government.

Member of Parliament for Forza Italia, elected in March 2018 to the Chamber of Deputies in the single-member constituency of San Donà di Piave, for the XVIII legislature.

Full Professor of Labor Economics at the University of Rome, Tor Vergata.

From March 2013 to March 2018, he was President of the Forza Italia-PDL-Berlusconi President parliamentary group in the Chamber of Deputies, for the XVII legislature.

From January 2012 to March 2013 he was Department Coordinator and Program Manager of the People of Freedom.

From May 2008 to November 2011 he was Minister for Public Administration and Innovation, XVI legislature, Berlusconi IV government.

Member of Parliament in the Chamber of Deputies since April 2008, elected in the Veneto II constituency, on the People of Freedom list, for the XVI legislature.

From 2007 to 2008 he was National Deputy Coordinator of Forza Italia.

From July 1999 to April 2008 he was Member of the European Parliament, elected on the Forza Italia list and registered with the EPP-ED group, where he held the position of Vice President of the Commission for Industry, Research and Energy, for the V and VI legislature.

Since 1998 he has been Head of the Program Sector and in 2007-2008 National Vice Coordinator of Forza Italia.

From 1980 to 1996 he worked as Secretary General of the Brodolini Foundation. In those same years he directed the quarterly magazine of economic policy and industrial relations “Economia & Lavoro”.

From 1987 to today he has been Director of the quarterly magazine “Labour”, Review of Labour Economics and Industrial Relations, published by Basil Blackwell.

In the 1980s and 1990s he collaborated, as an economic advisor, with the Craxi, Amato and Ciampi governments. He was economic advisor to the Prime Minister Berlusconi in the years 2003-2006. He was Vice President of the OECD Committee on Manpower and Social Affairs (Paris, 1985-1989). From 1983 to 1987 he was responsible, at the Ministry of Labor, for all strategies for employment and income policy.

In his academic career he is the author of numerous scientific publications and volumes on labor economics and industrial relations

A columnist for the most important Italian newspapers, he has received multiple awards, including. in 2023 he was named Chevalier de la Légion d’honneur, for his commitment in all the missions he has covered in his career, in Italian and European politics.