(1934-)
Italian socialist politician, leader of the Italian Socialist Party (PSI) 1976–93, prime minister 1983–87. In 1993 he was one of many politicians suspected of involvement in Italy's corruption network, and in 1994 he was sentenced in absentia to eight-and-a-half years in prison for accepting bribes.
Craxi, born in Milan, became a member of the Chamber of Deputies 1968 and general secretary of the PSI 1976. In 1983 he became Italy's first socialist prime minister, successfully leading a broad coalition until 1987. In Feb 1993 he was forced to resign the PSI leadership in the face of mounting allegations of corruption, but was later absolved from prosecution on several charges. He was in Tunisia, and claimed to be too ill to return to Italy, when he was tried and sentenced for accepting bribes July 1994.