Hon. Antonio Tajani
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation
Hon. Antonio Tajani (born 4 August 1953) is an Italian politician and former journalist who has served as Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation since October 2022. He began his career in journalism in 1980, reporting from the Italian Parliament and later anchoring for Rai and leading the Rome newsroom of Il Giornale. Tajani was a founder of Forza Italia in 1994 and has held senior party roles, including Vice President (2018–2023), National Coordinator (2021–2024), and National Secretary (since February 2024).
He was first elected to the European Parliament in 1994. In 2008 he became European Commissioner for Transport, and in 2010 he was appointed Vice President of the European Commission and Commissioner for Industry and Entrepreneurship. Tajani served as President of the European Parliament from 2017 to 2019. From 2019 to 2022 he chaired the European Parliament’s Committee on Constitutional Affairs and the Conference of Committee Chairs.
He has been a Vice President of the European People’s Party since 2002. Since returning to Italian national politics, he has been a key figure in the centre-right coalition and a regular participant in international diplomacy and major policy forums, including iGaming industry events such as SiGMA Central Europe.