From the pizzica in Puglia to the grand ball of European nominations. Having archived a G7 which for her was “a success”, Giorgia Meloni is preparing for another challenge, equally and perhaps more important, that of being able to weigh in Brussels even if the numbers place the vote, despite the clear victory of Fdi in Italy , they are not favorable to her. Italy, this is the reasoning you make in private and which you also made clear in the press conference in Borgo Egnazia, deserves to be recognized as having a leading role. And if there is no space at the top, at least to date, Rome’s attention is entirely on the commissioner. And on the aim of also winning a vice-presidency for Rome.
The leaders’ informal dinner is only the first step, his loyalists repeat. Meloni, who would also prefer to wait for the outcome of the French elections but should not, however, get in the way if there was a push to accelerate, aiming to close already at the Council at the end of the month. “From Tuesday the picture will be a little clearer,” they say of him. And we will be able to get to the heart of the negotiations on the delegations of commissioners.
A game played on multiple levels. The prime minister, returning from Lucerne with Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani (who will be at the EPP meeting), may have started to examine the various options with her ally, which will however need to be shared within the government. However, the choice will have to be made by cross-referencing the most interesting portfolios and profiles most suited to managing them.
ANSA Agency Von der Leyen remains in pole but there is no shortage of unknowns – 2024 European Special – Ansa.it Leaders’ dinner on Monday 17 June. The game could get bigger (ANSA) “No names have been spoken of yet”, they assure in the majority. But the natural candidate for entry into the new Commission would be Raffale Fitto, known in European circles and who today manages, on behalf of the government, the relationships and main dossiers on the Rome-Brussels line. However, his chances clash with the fact that moving a minister would mean opening up to a government reshuffle, a hypothesis that Meloni has publicly excluded for several weeks.
And even more so now that the outcome of the European elections sees “the government having done very well”, reasons a front-row leader of the majority, opening the Pandora’s box of the reshuffle would risk having more costs than benefits. If anything, the two boxes for undersecretaries that remained uncovered would need to be filled (due to the exit of Augusta Montaruli first and of Vittorio Sgarbi in the spring), but this chapter should not be reopened before the summer. Avoiding uncovering the executive is an argument that also applies to Giancarlo Giorgetti, who has also called himself out, and also to Antonio Tajani, whose name has been circulating in the hypothesis of a great impasse among the popular parties over the name of von der Leyen, who at the moment however, it is not on the horizon.
The buzz of recent weeks also includes the hypothesis of Elisabetta Belloni, head of services and Sherpa of the G7 (“my name is mentioned every time there is an empty box”, the ambassador herself has joked in recent days). Her profile would match well with the High Representative for Foreign Affairs, who would not, however, be at the top of the wish list. In fact, the most coveted would remain the economic portfolios starting from Competition and the Internal Market, boxes currently covered by Denmark and France.
Together with a vice presidency, even better if executive.
It would be “a miracle for Giorgia”, says a senior member of her party, given that the three current ones are all expressions of the Ursula majority. Above all for the Competition, however, a technical profile would be needed (the last time Italy had this delegation there was Mario Monti) which has not yet been identified. Vittorio Colao, who had also entered the totonomi, would not be in the running. Just as the chances of other technicians are uncertain. There has been talk of former minister Daniele Franco (which was the Italian name for the EIB), but Roberto Cingolani could have a better chance, but he should leave Leonardo’s leadership.
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