Romano Prodi vs Theresa May

Prodi became Prime Minister of Italy on May 17, 1996, leading a center-left coalition. His government focused on fiscal consolidation to meet Eurozone criteria, including reducing the budget deficit and public debt.

Under Prodi's leadership, Italy qualified for the European Monetary Union and adopted the euro as its currency on January 1, 1999. This required strict budget discipline and marked a major step in European integration.

Prodi served as President of the European Commission from September 16, 1999, to November 22, 2004. He oversaw the enlargement of the EU to include ten new member states in 2004 and promoted the Lisbon Agenda for economic reform.

Prodi won the 2006 general election and became Prime Minister again on May 17. His coalition government was unstable, facing internal divisions and a narrow Senate majority, leading to its collapse in January 2008.

May became Prime Minister of the United Kingdom after David Cameron's resignation following the Brexit referendum. She was the second female prime minister after Margaret Thatcher and faced the challenge of implementing Brexit.

May formally triggered Article 50 of the Treaty on European Union, beginning the two-year process of the UK's withdrawal from the EU. This was a historic step, initiating the formal Brexit negotiations.

May called a snap general election, hoping to strengthen her majority for Brexit negotiations. The election resulted in a hung parliament, with the Conservatives losing their majority, a major political miscalculation.

May negotiated a Withdrawal Agreement with the European Union, including the controversial Northern Ireland backstop. The agreement was rejected three times by the House of Commons, leading to a political deadlock.

May resigned as prime minister after failing to get her Brexit deal through Parliament. She acknowledged that she had done her best but that it was time for a new leader to take forward the Brexit process.