was elected Chair of the Group of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats in the European Parliament on 2 July 2014. As leader of the Socialists and Democrats (2014-2018), Gianni committed to fighting inequalities by shoring up growth and employment in the EU. Besides his political work, Gianni is the author of several books on the future and challenges of the European project such as a Brief History of the Future of the United States of Europe (2013). He is also a visiting professor at the University of East Anglia’s London Academy of Diplomacy.