Goria, Giovanni Giuseppe

▪ 1995

      Italian politician (b. July 30, 1943, Asti, Italy—d. May 21, 1994, Asti), was Italy's finance minister (1982-87, 1992-93) as well as the country's youngest post-World War II prime minister (July 1987-March 1988). He resigned from the Cabinet in February 1993 when he was caught up in a widespread government corruption investigation. Goria joined the Christian Democratic Party at age 17 and entered local politics in Asti soon after studying for a degree in economics at the University of Turin. He was elected to the national Chamber of Deputies in 1976 and was appointed undersecretary for the budget in 1981. Although Goria had no political power base within the Christian Democrats, his youth, good looks, and relative success as a pragmatic finance minister made him an acceptable compromise choice to lead the country after Socialist Prime Minister Bettino Craxi's resignation forced a snap election in June 1987. Goria submitted his own resignation in February 1988 after a rebellious Parliament had rejected his proposed budget bill 17 times in three weeks. His resignation was not accepted initially, and he remained in office for another month. He was elected to the European Parliament in 1989, returned to Rome as agriculture minister in 1991, and rejoined the Finance Ministry the next year. In February 1994 he was brought to trial on corruption charges. Goria, who strongly denied the accusations of bribery and corruption, was acquitted of one charge; another was still pending at the time of his death.

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