Fabrizio Balassone was born in Sulmona (L'Aquila) on 8 December 1963 and graduated in Economics (with honours) from 'La Sapienza' University in Rome in 1987. He was awarded a 'Giorgio Mortara' scholarship by Banca d'Italia and went on to obtain an MSc in Economics (with distinction) from the University of York (UK) in 1989.
In the same year, he joined the Public Finance Section in Banca d'Italia's Economic Research Department. In 1996, he returned to the UK as a visiting student at the University of Bath. From 2000 to 2003, he headed the Unit for Fiscal Policy and the Public Debt in the Economic Research Department, and represented the Bank in national and international public finance working groups.
In 2004, he joined the International Monetary Fund and worked in the Fiscal Affairs Department. He then returned to Italy, and was an Advisor to the State Accountant General between 2007 and 2008. In 2009, he went back to Banca d'Italia, in the Directorate General for Economics, Statistics and Research. Between 2009 and 2015, he was a consultant on numerous IMF technical assistance missions in Europe and Asia.
He was appointed Deputy Head of the Structural Economic Analysis Directorate in 2013 and became Head of the Directorate in 2020.
He was Head of Cabinet of the European Commissioner for Economic and Monetary Affairs in the years 2023-2024.
He has been a high-level advisor in the Directorate General for Economics, Statistics and Research since January 2025.
He has published numerous articles on fiscal policy topics and on the economics of European institutions.
