Lorenzo Natali

Lorenzo Natali
European Commissioner for International Cooperation and Development and European for Enlargement
In office 1985–1989
President	Jacques Delors
Preceded by	Edgard Pisani (Development) Himself (Enlargement)
Succeeded by	Manuel Marín
European Commissioner for Mediterranean Policies, Enlargement and Information
In office 1981–1985
President	Gaston Thorn
Preceded by	Himself (Enlargement)
Succeeded by	Himself (Enlargement) Claude Cheysson (Mediterranean Policies)
European Commissioner for Energy, for the Environment and for Enlargement
In office 25 June 1968 – 13 December 1968
President	Roy Jenkins
Preceded by	Henri François Simonet (Energy) Carlo Scarascia-Mugnozza (Environment)
Succeeded by	Himself (Environment) Étienne Davignon (Energy) Karl-Heinz Narjes (Environment)
Minister of Merchant Navy
In office 1966–1968
Prime Minister	Aldo Moro
Preceded by	Giovanni Spagnolli
Succeeded by	Giovanni Spagnolli
Minister of Public Works
In office 1968–1968
Prime Minister	Giovanni Leone
Preceded by	Giacomo Mancini
Succeeded by	Giacomo Mancini
In office 1969–1970
Prime Minister	Mariano Rumor
Preceded by	Giacomo Mancini
Succeeded by	Salvatore Lauricella
Minister of Tourism and Entertainment
In office 1968–1969
Prime Minister	Mariano Rumor
Preceded by	Domenico Magrì
Succeeded by	Giovanni Battista Scaglia
Minister of Agriculture
In office 1970–1973
Prime Minister	Mariano Rumor Emilio Colombo Giulio Andreotti
Preceded by	Giacomo Sedati
Succeeded by	Mario Ferrari Aggradi
Member of the Chamber of Deputies
In office 1948–1977
Constituency	L'Aquila
Personal details
Born	(1922-10-02)2 October 1922 Florence, Italy
Died	29 August 1989(1989-08-29) (aged 66) Rome, Italy
Political party	Christian Democracy
Alma mater	University of Florence

Lorenzo Natali Pierucci Bondicchi (1922–1989) was an Italian politician for Christian Democracy, and a European Commissioner from 1977 to 1989.

Early life and career

Natali's parents were born in Colle di Buggiano, in the province of Pistoia. His mother was a countess, while his father was the son of a farmer, but he graduated in medicine. In 1925 his father won a primary position at the hospital in L'Aquila and the whole family moved to Abruzzo. Natali grew up and lived in L'Aquila. In 1929, Natali's mother died in childbirth.

Natali was greatly influenced by his father, a convinced anti-fascist. He obtained his classical high school diploma at the Domenico Cotugno high school in L'Aquila, then moved to Colle di Buggiano to study law in Florence. After graduation, he became a lawyer.

During the Second World War Natali was responsible for the Catholic youth groups in L'Aquila. He joined the Italian Liberation Corps as a volunteer and participated in the fight against the Nazi-fascists from 16 June to 17 July 1944 in the ranks of the 4th XXXIII Bersaglieri regiment. On 17 July, he was wounded in battle on the Musone nelle Marche river, and on 27 April 1945, he received the Cross for Military Valor.

Political career

In 1955 Natali was appointed Undersecretary to the Presidency of the Council of Ministers for the press and information within the Segni I government. In this capacity, he participated in the signing of the Treaty of Rome on 25 March 1957. Subsequently, he held the positions of undersecretary of the ministry of finance (Zoli government and Fanfani II government) and of the treasury ministry (Tambroni government, Fanfani III government, Fanfani IV government, Leone I government and Moro I government).

In 1966 he was appointed minister for the first time and joined the Moro III government as Minister of Merchant Marine. Later he was Minister of Public Works in the Leone II and Rumor II Governments, Minister of Tourism and Entertainment in the Rumor I Government and Minister of Agriculture in the Rumor III, Colombo, Andreotti I and II Governments.

Lorenzo Natali, left, 1978

He served as Vice-President of the European Commission and Commissioner for Enlargement, Environment and Nuclear Safety in the Jenkins Commission from 1977 to 1981. He then served as Vice-President and Commissioner for Mediterranean Policy, Enlargement and Information in the Thorn Commission from 1981 to 1985. He was Vice-President and held the portfolio of Cooperation, Development Affairs and Enlargement in the Delors Commission from 1985 to 1989. He was a government minister in Italy from 1966 to 1972 and served as Minister of Agriculture from 1970.

The Lorenzo Natali Media Prize, a journalism prize awarded annually by the European Commission's Directorate-General for International Partnerships, is named in his honour.

External links

• The private papers of Lorenzo Natali are deposited at the Historical Archives of the European Union in Florence
• Media related to Lorenzo Natali at Wikimedia Commons