" Europe is the natural context in which solutions for social and economic progress will find their true meaning and true value."

Born on 11 April 1920 in Potenza (Italy).
• In 1946, aged 26, he was elected a Member of the Constituent Assembly that was responsible for drafting Italy's new post-war constitution. He was appointed secretary to the Agriculture Committee.
• In 1948 he was elected a Member of the Italian Parliament, where he sat until 2003, when the President of Italy appointed him a senator for life.
• Between 1950 and 1952 he was a minister in several Italian centre and centre-left governments.
• From August 1970 to February 1972, he was President of the Italian Government's Council of Ministers.
• In 1985 he became President of the European Union of Christian Democrats.
• On 12 July 1990 he was appointed President of the Atlantic Committee.
• Finally, from March 1993 to June 1995, he was President of Christian Democrat International.

◦ In 1976 Mr Colombo became a Member of the European Parliament, where he sat until 1992 in the Christian-Democratic Group which later became the Group of the European People's Party.
◦ In March 1977 he was elected President of the European Parliament and led it towards the first elections by direct universal suffrage.
◦ In May 1979 he received the Charlemagne Prize in Aachen, the third Italian politician to receive this honour after Alcide de Gasperi and Antonio Segni.
◦ From February to May 1992 he was chairman of the temporary committee on the Delors II package (From the Single Act to Maastricht and beyond: the means to match our ambitions), which had a remit concerning achievement of the Maastricht Treaty objectives.

Dedication of Sir Peter Kirk Room by Mr Emilio Colombo, President of the European Parliament, attended by Lady Kirk and family in January 1978