Franco Guidi (1951-) was Prime Minister of Italy from 2022 to 2024, succeeding Luciana Uliano and preceding Nicola Stefani.
Biography[]
Franco Guidi was born in Forli, Romagna, Italy in 1951, and he worked as a media advisor for M5S before being elected to the Chamber of Deputies in 2009. He was a little-known deputy until 2021, when he was chosen as his party's candidate for Prime Minister due to party leader Francesco Crespino facing term limits (he had previously served as Prime Minister as leader of the Democratic Party of Italy, his former party). Guidi faced PD leader Camilla Ciano, as Prime Minister Luciana Uliano faced term limits, and Guidi defeated Ciano in a vote of 10-9.
Premiership[]
Guidi was the first M5S prime minister since Mario Federici in 2018, and his first act in office was to approve a car tax in an 11-8 vote. He pursued a progressive agenda of maintaining the economy's growth, passing new taxes, and expanding government programs. An attempt to pass a coffee tax was defeated by a 9-9 tie, and, despite M5S opposition, the public smoking ban was overturned in a 13-10 decision. The government also voted 18-1 to commit to the NATO alliance, and a sporting victory rose the country's morale. Guidi's government was immensely popular, and, in the mid-2023 elections, the M5S won an unprecedented 43.32% of the vote and 10 seats, while FI won 17.93% and 4 seats, SI won 15.17% and 4 seats, PD won 13.08% and 3 seats, and LN won 10.51% and 3 seats. Guidi was then re-elected in a vote of 15-6, defeating FI leader Mirella Roberto. Guidi oversaw the approval of an air pollution monitor in a vote of 13-7, failed to save the tobacco tax in a vote of 9-11, reimplemented the public smoking ban in a vote of 18-6, and voted 14-2 to approve the right to referenda. In January 2024, M5S won 41.61% of the vote and 10 seats, SI won 17.48% and 4 seats, FI won 16.88% and 4 seats, PD won 13.18% and 3 seats, and LN won 10.86% and 3 seats. Due to term limits, he was forced to step down as Prime Minister, and M5S MP Nicola Stefani was elected Prime Minister.