In this interview excerpt, Alfonso Iozzo, senior executive in the Sanpaolo banking group from 1961 to 2006, Chairman of Cassa Depositi e Prestiti in Rome from 2006 to 2008, member of the European Federalist Movement since 1963 and Vice-Chairman of the Triffin International Foundation, describes the involvement of Tommaso Padoa-Schioppa, Deputy Director General of the Bank of Italy from 1984 to 1997, in the Italian delegation that took part in the negotiations on Economic and Monetary Union.