Francesco Cossiga
President of the Italian Republic
Died when: 82 years 22 days (984 months)Star Sign: Leo
Francesco Maurizio Cossiga OMRI (Italian pronunciation: [franˈtʃesko kosˈsiːɡa];Sardinian: Frantziscu Maurìtziu Còssiga, IPA: [ˈkosiɣa]; 26 July 1928 – 17 August 2010) was an Italian politician.
A member of the Christian Democratic Party of Italy, he was prime minister of Italy from 1979 to 1980 and the president of Italy from 1985 to 1992.
Cossiga is widely considered one of the most prominent and influential politicians of the First Republic.Cossiga also served as minister on several occasions, most notably as Minister of the Interior.
In that position he re-structured the Italian police, civil protection and secret services.Due to his repressive approach to public protests, he has been described as a strongman and labeled "Iron Minister".
He was in office at the time of the kidnapping and murder of Aldo Moro by the Red Brigades, and resigned as Minister of the Interior when Moro was found dead in 1978.
Cossiga was Prime Minister during the Bologna station bombing in 1980.Before his political career, Cossiga was a professor of constitutional law at the University of Sassari.