Francesco Cossiga, Italian academic and politician, 8th President of Italy (died 2010)

Francesco Maurizio Cossiga was an Italian politician who served as President of Italy from 1985 to 1992. A member of Christian Democracy, he was Prime Minister of Italy from 1979 to 1980. Cossiga is widely considered one of the most prominent and influential politicians of the First Italian Republic.

The president of Italy, officially titled President of the Italian Republic, is the head of state of Italy. In that role, the president represents national unity and guarantees that Italian politics comply with the Constitution. The president is the commander-in-chief of the Italian Armed Forces and chairs the High Council of the Judiciary. The president serves a seven-year term, with no term limits. The incumbent president is former constitutional judge Sergio Mattarella, who was elected on 31 January 2015, and re-elected on 29 January 2022.