In the end, Ursula von der Leyen went ahead and satisfied Giorgia Meloni. Raffaele Fitto will be one of the six vice-presidents of the European Commission and will have the portfolio of Cohesion and Reforms. It is not exactly the important economic portfolio that the Italian Prime Minister hoped for, but it is still a weighty position, given that the cohesion policy is the one that has the largest share of the European budget and that deals with financing projects in the regions of the bloc and therefore also in Italy. “We will draw on his vast experience to help modernise and strengthen our cohesion, investment and growth policies,” said the Commission President in presenting her team in Strasbourg.
The controversies on Fitto
The idea of giving a vice-presidency to Fitto, a member of a radical right-wing party like Fratelli d’Italia, which is part of the Conservatives and Reformists (Ecr) group, had sparked protests from socialists and liberals. The two groups, which supported von der Leyen in the vote of confidence in the Chamber, argued that such an important role cannot be given to a member of a group that is not part of the majority, with Meloni who abstained in the European Council on von der Leyen and FdI who even voted against the confidence in the Parliament. But the response of the President of the Commission was rather astute.
Von der Leyen’s response
“First of all, Italy is a very important country and one of the founding members and this must also be reflected in the choices” of the executive, the German popular began by answering a question on the topic at a press conference in Strasbourg. “I also looked at the composition of the European Parliament which has 14 vice-presidents and two are from the ECR”, she added, as if to say: if the Parliament has chosen two vice-presidents among the conservatives, with the votes of socialists and liberals, why shouldn’t the executive be able to do the same? “I have learned from the composition of the European Parliament” and this “seemed to me to be an intelligent way to proceed”, she continued. In short, von der Leyen concluded, “the importance of Italy is reflected in the portfolio and I think that the balance is also maintained” between the political forces.
Meloni: “Italy returns to the forefront”
The Italian government is very pleased. Fitto’s appointment is “an important recognition that confirms our nation’s newfound central role in the EU. Italy is finally back as a protagonist in Europe”, Meloni rejoiced. The Minister of Foreign Affairs and Deputy Prime Minister, Antonio Tajani, called the choice “excellent news that confirms the credibility and weighty role that Italy plays and will continue to play in Europe”, maintaining that it is “a success for the government”. “We are certain that he will be able to advance Italy’s interests with common sense and concreteness”, was the comment on X by the Minister of Infrastructure and Deputy Prime Minister, Matteo Salvini, in complimenting Fitto.
The hearings
Now the commissioner in pectore Fitto will have to overcome the obstacle of the hearings at the European Parliament. The minister will be questioned by the deputies in the competent committees, then the leaders of the groups will have to decide whether to give their green light or not. For an OK, the consent of two thirds of the members of the commission is needed. If the socialists, liberals and greens were to decide to put up a wall against the candidate, they could send him back to a second hearing and then even reject him. However, this seems unlikely, given that this would risk unleashing a political clash in which members of the majority could also end up becoming victims. Once each commissioner has received the OK, there will be a vote of confidence in the plenary in Strasbourg.
