Alcide De Gasperi

Alcide De Gasperi founded Christian Democracy and became prime minister in 1945, serving the final stretch under two kings before Italy voted to abolish the monarchy. He briefly held the role of provisional head of state during the transition, then led the new Italian Republic through eight successive coalition governments until 1953. A devout Catholic, he helped lay the groundwork for what would become the European Union alongside Altiero Spinelli. His eight-year tenure remains unmatched in modern Italian politics — the fifth longest since unification. He died in August 1954, a year after lea…