The only party he ever belonged to was the "Party of Action" immediately after the war. His career was mostly at the Bank of Italy, which is to say the institution which has turned out Italy's most highly qualified civil servants.

In 1993 he entered politics by leaving the Bank of Italy to take part in a Government of "experts". It was during the period from 1993 to 1994 when the party system was in ruins following the anti-corruption investigations of the Mani Pulite (Clean hands) magistrates.

With Romano Prodi as Premier, Ciampi became Economy Minister in 1996, and thanks to his capability and the trust which other European politicians placed in him, he was able to stabilize the Italian economy and bring the Lira into the EMU.

With the D'Alema Government, he continued as Economy Minister right up to his election as President of the Republic on May 14th 1999.