Daniele Franco (Trichiana, Belluno, 1953) served as Minister of Economy and Finance in the Draghi government (February 2021–October 2022), after having held the position of Director General of the Bank of Italy (January 2020–February 2021).

 

He graduated in Political Science from the University of Padua in 1977, obtained a Master’s in Business Organization from CUOA in Padua in 1978, and a Master of Science in Economics from the University of York (UK) in 1980. On September 19, 2023, Ca’ Foscari University of Venice awarded him an honorary master’s degree in Economics and Finance.

 

From 1979 to 1994, he worked in the Research Department of the Bank of Italy; from 1994 to 1997, he was an Economic Advisor at the Directorate-General for Economic and Financial Affairs of the European Commission. Returning to the Bank of Italy, between 1997 and 2013 he held various positions, becoming Director of the Economic Research and International Relations Area in 2011. From May 2013 to May 2019, he served as the State Accountant General. After returning again to the Bank of Italy, he was Deputy Director General from May to December 2019 and Director General from January 2020 to February 2021. During this period, he was also Chairman of the Institute for Insurance Supervision (IVASS).

 

He has been a member of working groups at the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of the Treasury, the Prime Minister’s Office, and ISTAT. He represented the Bank of Italy and the Ministry of Economy and Finance in committees and working groups at international organizations. From 1999 to 2007, he chaired the Public Finance Working Group of the European System of Central Banks. From 2015 to 2019, he was a member of the Executive Committee of the OECD Senior Budget Officials Committee. In 2020, he chaired the G20 Finance Track.

 

From May 2018 to February 2021, he was a member of the Supervisory Board of the Human Technopole Foundation. He is a member of the Italian Society of Public Economics, the International Institute of Public Finance, the Italian Economic Society, the Veneto Institute of Sciences, Letters, and Arts, and the Vicenza Olympic Academy.

 

Between 2000 and 2003, he was a member of the Board of Directors of the Italian Society of Public Economics. Between 2010 and 2011, he was a member of the Advisory Board of the National Tax Association (USA). He has taught courses at the Universities of Bergamo and Trieste, the Catholic University of Milan, and the Higher School of Public Administration. He has published books and articles on public finance, European economic policies, macroeconomics, social protection, and income distribution.

 

From July 2024 he is Scientific Director of Fondazione Giorgio Cini.