Elsa Fornero is an Italian economist and professor, designated Minister of Labour the 16th of November 2011. She is a member of the Italian technical government led by Mario Monti. Fornero is the president of the CERP, a prestigious European think tank related to the welfare state and before she used to work for Intesa Sanpaolo. The past 4th of December she broke into tears while she was announcing the new cuts imposed by the government.