[2] In 1946, Reichlin joined the Italian Communist Party of which he has been one of the most important leaders.

A pupil of Palmiro Togliatti, Reichlin has been vice-secretary of the Italian Communist Youth Federation and in 1958 he became editor-in-chief of L'Unità.

In the 1960s he approached the positions of Pietro Ingrao, leader of the left-wing current of the party.

In 1989, Reichlin became Minister of Economy of the Shadow Cabinet of the Italian Communist Party.

[4] Reichlin has been married to journalist and politician Luciana Castellina: they had two children, Lucrezia and Pietro, both of them economists.