Paolo Cirino Pomicino has died: the Andreottian 'Minister' was 86 years old.

Paolo Cirino Pomicino, one of the key figures of the political season of the First Republic, passed away in the afternoon in Rome at the age of 86. The former member of the Christian Democracy, linked to the Andreotti faction, had been hospitalized for several days at the Quisisana clinic. He would have turned 87 in September.

Born in Naples in 1939, Pomicino initially pursued a medical career, establishing himself as a neurosurgeon at the Cardarelli Hospital before turning to politics. Elected to Parliament in 1976, he quickly established himself as one of Giulio Andreotti's trusted men, becoming a central figure in the management of public spending.

Throughout his career, he held prominent positions, including that of Minister of Public Function in the government led by Ciriaco De Mita and, subsequently, Minister of Budget and Economic Planning in the Andreotti governments.

His political trajectory suffered a sharp slowdown with the Clean Hands investigations. Involved in the Tangentopoli scandals, he faced trials and convictions, including one for illegal financing, yet he did not completely withdraw from public life.

In the following years, he managed to return to institutions, being elected to the European Parliament in 2004 and to the Chamber of Deputies in 2006. At the same time, he began working as an editorialist and essayist, signing his contributions under the pseudonym “Geronimo” and collaborating with various national publications.

In recent years, despite being affected by health issues, including a heart transplant and a kidney transplant, he continued to participate in public debate with critical analyses of contemporary politics, advocating for the role of mediation and criticizing the growing weight of populism.

With the passing of Paolo Cirino Pomicino, a significant chapter in the political history of Italy in the twentieth century comes to a close, marked by both lights and shadows, but also by a constant presence in the decision-making centers of the country.