Lapo Pistelli was born in Florence in 1964.

He is married with three children.

He studied in Florence at Cesere Alfieri University and he holds a University Degree in Political Science/International relations.

Journalist since 1991.

Senior Lecturer at Stanford University and at Florence University.

He is member of the Board of the IAI (International Affairs Institute) and of the IPALMO (the Institute for Relations with Italy Africa, Latin America, and the Middle and Far East).

In 2003 he founded a cultural local association INPUT, of which he is the Chairman.

He is currently a Member of the Italian Parliament (Chamber of Deputies), Foreign and EU Affairs Committee; he also held a position during the 1996-2004 legislatures as a member of the Foreign and EU Affair Committee and a member of the Italian Delegation to the OSCE.

In the Democratic Party (PD), he is responsible for the Foreign Department.

From 2004-2008 he was a member of the European Parliament (EP) – elected with 80,382 votes-, he became vice-president of the ALDE (Alliance of Liberal and Democrats in Europe) and  Head of the Italian delegation in the ALDE group. In the EP, he is also a member of the Committee for the Economic and Monetary Policy and Civil Liberties, as well as Justice and Home Affairs, a stand-in member of the Foreign Affairs and Constitutional Affairs Committees and Chairman of the Delegation for relations with South Africa.

During his activity in Europe, he has been actively involved in creating the European Democratic Party.

Since 2002 he has been the Head of the Foreign Department of the “Democrazia è Libertà – La Margherita” Party

Since 2004 he has been a member of the Presidency of the Margherita Party.

From 1987 to 1991 he was responsible for the Foreign Department of the Christian Democrats (DC) party in the Youth Movement.

In 1994 he became regional Secretary and counsellor to the DC national office.

From 1994-1996 he was a member of the Secretariat of the Italian Popular Party (PPI).

In 1987 he founded the “Centro Toscano di Documentazione Politica”, a regional political and administrative training association which he directed until 1995. During this period he was the Director of the Schede and Centocittà magazines.

Mr Pistelli was elected for the Council of the city of Florence (1985-1990) and chaired the Education Committee from 1992-95.

His recent publications: America Take Away: quanta America è entrata in noi, quanto ne potrebbe arrivare”.