“Bruno Leoni was, in the fullest sense of the word, a humanist… and above all an ‘uomo universale’, a thinker of such breadth and distinction that, regrettably, few can be found in today’s world. He embodied the highest values of the liberal tradition, dedicating his life and ideas to the cause of freedom and human dignity.” – With these words, Otto von Habsburg commemorated the Italian jurist and philosopher in a 1968 obituary, reflecting on the close professional and personal bond he shared with Leoni, whose intellectual vision profoundly influenced his own views.
Otto von Habsburg_Bruno Leoni
In the early 2000s, at the initiative of Carlo Lottieri, Carlo Stagnaro, and – this year’s visitor to our Foundation – Professor Alberto Mingardi, the Istituto Bruno Leoni was established as a leading contemporary centre of Italian liberal thought. Each year, the Institute hosts a gala evening named after its founder, during which the Bruno Leoni Prize is awarded to public, academic, or economic figures who have made outstanding contributions to advancing the ideas championed by Leoni.
Previous laureates include prominent figures such as María Corina Machado, leader of Venezuela’s democratic opposition and an iconic force in the struggle against leftist regimes in Latin America; Leszek Balcerowicz, the architect of Poland’s post-communist economic transformation and former finance minister; and Mario Vargas Llosa, Nobel Prize-winning Peruvian writer, essayist, and one of the most influential voices in modern liberal thought.
This year, the accolade was received on behalf of Greece by Yannis Stournaras, Governor of the Bank of Greece. In his ceremonial address, the economist reflected on the lessons of the Greek crisis, highlighting that through strict fiscal and structural reforms in recent years, the Mediterranean country transformed a budget deficit of approximately 15% into a surplus, reduced its public debt relative to GDP, and is rapidly repaying international assistance received from Europe. These achievements illustrate that in times of crisis, solutions extend beyond increased state intervention; robust institutions, the rule of law, responsible fiscal policies, and comprehensive structural reforms provide far more resilient and sustainable frameworks for overcoming economic challenges.
Our collegue, Bence Kocsev, was honoured with an invitation to this prestigious gala, attended by representatives from Milan’s and Northern Italy’s economic, diplomatic, and academic sectors, alongside several international guests. The event provided an excellent opportunity to engage with the contemporary European relevance of classical liberal thought, to explore the Institute’s perspectives on current economic and political issues, and to strengthen the Foundation’s prospects for future professional collaboration.
Photos: Istituto Ellenico di Cultura & Simona Chioccia (Istituto Bruno Leoni)
