Prodi

He served as president of the lower house of parliament from 1992 to 1994, and was interior minister under prime minister Romano Prodi from 1996-98.

Long a figurehead of Italy’s center-left, Prodi served two stints as premier starting in 1996, after he founded the center-left Olive party, and again in 2006.

Franzoni, a professor of social work at the University of Bologna, was often at Prodi’s side during his political career.

Franzoni is survived by Prodi and their sons, Giorgio and Antonio, and grandchildren, according to a statement from Prodi’s office, which announced the death.

But in 2006, as Italy was ridiculed as “the sick man of Europe,” with its economy mired in zero growth and its budget deficit rising, Berlusconi narrowly lost the general election to center-left leader Romano Prodi.