Italy’s road to an executive vice-presidency of the European Commission, much sought after and requested by Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, is uphill. Although in Brussels it now seems certain that Palazzo Chigi’s candidate, the Minister of European Affairs Raffaele Fitto, is in pole position for the role (and with a heavy economic portfolio), in the European Parliament not everyone seems happy with the idea. The first to protest were the liberals, one of the groups that are part of the majority that supports Ursula von der Leyen, who do not seem willing to accept the choice of the exponent of Fratelli d’Italia, who in Strasbourg sits in the Conservatives and Reformists (Ecr) group, and is in opposition (at least on paper).
The Liberals’ No
“I hope the rumors are not true,” said Frenchwoman Valérie Hayer, chair of the liberal group in the Community Assembly, speaking on the television program “La faute à l’Europe,” as reported by Politico. “This would mean that Ursula von der Leyen would put among the heavyweights of the European Commission a far-right commissioner who, among other things, did not support her” in her bid for re-election, the liberal recalled. “It is politically incomprehensible and I have already made it clear to Ursula von der Leyen that this cannot be accepted,” Hayer added.
Confidence vote at risk
The task of choosing the role and portfolio of a commissioner falls to the president of the executive, but then it is up to the European Parliament to vote confidence in each member of the college, and it is not a given that the green light will arrive. “We will see if von der Leyen decides to go ahead”, Hayer then replied to the question of whether the group will vote for or against the confidence in Fitto. But the socialists are also not very happy with the choice of the Italian minister. Or rather, they are also not happy with the fact that the role of executive vice president can be given to an important country, yes, but still governed by a prime minister who represents a political force that is not in the majority, and who abstained in the European Council and voted against in Parliament on the name of von der Leyen.
The Socialists fear that their representatives, especially the Spanish Teresa Ribera, have less influence and leading roles than they believe they deserve. Von der Leyen promised that “there will be no collaboration with the far right and now ECR will have an executive vice president? It is not possible”, an influential Socialist MP, who remained anonymous, reportedly told Politico.
Von der Leyen’s identikit
“Competence and balance are the two priority criteria for the Commission”, assured von der Leyen yesterday speaking to the press, explaining that “competence means having already held high political positions as prime minister, minister or high positions in the EU institutions”. And in fact Fitto, current minister for European Affairs and the South, has already been minister for Regional Affairs and Cohesion between 2008 and 2011, a member of the European Parliament between 2019 and 2022 and also co-president of the ECR conservative group.
From an institutional point of view, he has the credentials to meet the requirements requested by the president. But from a political point of view, he could create a split in the majority that could end up making him lose the executive vice-presidency. Leaving him the simple vice-presidency could be a compromise that could finally reconcile everyone. Except Meloni.
