Mario Monti (Àdàkọ:IPA-it; born 19 March 1943) is an Italian economist and politician. He served as European Commissioner for the Internal Market, Services, Customs, and Taxation from 1995 to 1999 and then as European Commissioner for Competition from 1999 to 2004. He has also been rector and president of Bocconi University. Since November 2011, he serves as a Senator for Life in the Italian Senate, and he has been asked to lead a new government in Italy after the Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi's resignation.