Italy’s Meloni interrupts holiday for key meeting on Commissioner hopeful
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni briefly interrupted her summer holiday to meet Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini at the Masseria in Puglia to discuss the Italian candidate for EU commissioner, who must be presented to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen before 30 August.
With less than two weeks before the deadline, Italy remains one of the last countries to nominate a candidate.
Meloni’s last-minute meeting with Salvini was therefore expected to prioritise this over other domestic matters currently under discussion, such as the ongoing citizenship debate and the appointment of new managers for the public broadcaster RAI.
In the last cabinet meeting before the summer recess, Meloni expressed her intention to decide on the country’s EU commissioner at the next meeting of the Council of Ministers, expected to take place on 27 or 28 August.
This timetable would leave the decision up to the last possible moment, with Italy likely to be one of the last countries to officially announce its choice.
For months, the frontrunner for the post has been European Affairs Minister Raffaele Fitto.
Aside from the fact that Meloni has yet to find a suitable replacement for Fitto, who currently oversees several key dossiers, such as the recovery plan, negotiations with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen are still ongoing.
Despite some speculation that Meloni’s opposition to von der Leyen’s second term might have strained their relationship, the Italian prime minister has repeatedly emphasised the strong ties between them.
Meloni is seeking an important portfolio, certainly no less important than the one held by current Economy Commissioner Paolo Gentiloni, who was appointed by the opposition Democratic Party.
Meloni also aims for an executive vice presidency, although it remains unclear whether von der Leyen will create such a role.
(Alessia Peretti | Euractiv.it)
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