Giorgia Meloni played with Ursula von der Leyen’s patience until the end. Italy was one of the last EU member states not to have designated who would occupy its post of European Commissioner. Raffaele Fitto was designated as the next Italian Commissioner on Friday, the deadline to submit a name to Brussels. A late appointment but not surprising, as the choice of the current Minister for European Affairs, the South, Cohesion Policy and the National Recovery and Resilience Plan was obvious.
Giorgia Meloni had no alternative. Noting the poverty of the ruling class of her political family, the Fratelli d’Italia, she resigned herself to parting with one of her few ministers recognized for his seriousness and competence, including by the opposition.
The good management of the implementation of the European post-Covid recovery plan, despite the admission of significant delays, has made him one of the key figures in the Italian government. Above all, he is a privileged interlocutor of Brussels. Raffaele Fitto, 55, will not be out of place there. He was in fact a member of the European Parliament until the last Italian legislative elections in 2022, holding the position of co-president of the ECR group led by Giorgia Meloni.
At 55, Raffaele Fitto is already a seasoned politician. The son of a prominent Christian Democrat leader, he became the youngest president of the Puglia region in 2000. Close to Silvio Berlusconi, he joined his government in 2008 when a legal storm was beginning to descend on him. He would eventually emerge unscathed from the prosecutions he was subjected to for corruption, forgery and illegal financing of political parties. The statute of limitations saved his career, which took off again following his rallying to Giorgia Meloni. He is now one of her most loyal collaborators.
Italy wants to weigh in the next Commission
The delay in the appointment of Raffaele Fitto is part of a deliberate strategy by the Italian Prime Minister. She aims to maximize her influence in the negotiations concerning the portfolio dedicated to the future Italian Commissioner. Meloni wants to snatch a substantial portfolio for his country, as well as an executive vice-presidency of the Commission.
She will be able to count on the openness of Manfred Weber, leader of the conservative EPP MEPs, the first group in the Strasbourg Parliament which must approve all commissioner nominations. “I am in favour of giving Italy a strong role,” he said during a trip to Rome this week. “Italy is one of the most important countries in the EU. Giorgia Meloni and Antonio Tajani (leader of Forza Italia) received considerable support in the European elections, unlike Emmanuel Macron and Olaf Scholz, who were the big losers.”
Strained relations
Raffaele Fitto will have to demonstrate all his negotiating skills for his new position. Relations between Rome and Brussels are strained again. The Commission opened an excessive deficit procedure against Italy in June. The country must present a structural budget plan, required by the new rules of European governance, by September 20, to bring its deficit within acceptable limits.
The departure of Raffaele Fitto leaves a big void in the Italian government. Giorgia Meloni does not have a personality of her stature to replace him. However, the recovery plan he was in charge of is entering its last, most delicate phase.
