After her good results in the European elections, the Italian prime minister would be about to jump into the bloc’s politics with a portfolio of the European Commission.
In an attempt to guarantee Italia an important role in Brussels, the first Italian minister, Giorgia Meloniis about to get an important portfolio in the European Comission.
According to sources from the Italian governmentis closely coordinating diplomatic action in the EU institutions together with the Italian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Antonio Tajani.
Few people know Brussels better than Tajani: former commissioner and former president of the European Parliament, historic member of the European People’s Party (EPP) and close ally of Silvio Berlusconi, the tycoon and former Italian prime minister now deceased who was also a MEP.
The cordial political interaction between Meloni and Tajani is a sign that the moderate conservatives of the EPP and the European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR)can work together in something like the electoral campaign, at least in Italy.
At the moment, nadie in the Palazzo Chigi – the seat of the Italian Government in Rome – is pronounced abiertamentin favor of a second term for Ursula von der Leyen in front of the European Comission.
Para Von der Leyen, Meloni’s support could be crucial, But the Italian Prime Minister is keeping her cards close to her chest for now, and Meloni could be showing everyone in Europe what the art of political haggling.
What is Italy at stake?
Meloni and his Italian ally Tajani are convinced that Italy has the right to ask for more in relation to EU institutional appointments. The Italian Government aspires to obtain a relevant portfolio and also the vice-presidency of the European Commission.
What wallet? “A mainly economic: or monetary affairs, or competition, or trade,” say sources in Rome.
The Italian Government is convinced that the success of conservative forces in Europe and personal achievement Meloni’s far-right partyFratelli d’Italia or Brothers of Italy in Spanish, in the European elections at the beginning of June they legitimize the Italian request for a relevant position in the EU.
The Italian Government is focusing on another portfolio: the new position of Defense Commissioner.
It could become a strategically important piece of the puzzle Brusselsespecially if it deals with public Defense contracts, which represent an enormous prize for the European arms manufacturers. The weapons production It is big business in Italy, especially for the industrial public sector.
And according to the Italian political and media rumor mill, Elisabetta Belloni could be the perfect candidate for the position of Defense Commissioner.
What cards could I play Elisabetta Belloni in Brussels?
Relatively unknown in Brussels, Belloni has been the head of Italian Intelligence from the Liberal Government Mario Draghi. In Italy, the Intelligence service is directed by senior external officials, generally diplomats.
In fact, it was Belloni who was about to become Italy’s first female head of government after her name was mentioned in the press as the most likely prime minister after the March 2018 general election. Finally, Melons He took the title in October 2022.
Belloni worked in the past as diplomatic advisor to the former prime minister and current European Commissioner for the Economy Paolo Gentiloni. “A junior position in the EU”, as some Italian sources say, since Gentiloni is one step below the vice president, Latvian Trade Commissioner Valdis Dombrovskis.
Belloni represents at the state administration, meaning it is perfectly positioned to meet the security demands of citizens and industry.
In addition to Belloni, another option is Roberto Cingolani, a physicist by training at the head of the Italian arms manufacturing holding company Leonardo. Roberto Cingolani, former minister of Green Transition in the Draghi Government, You could also apply for the Competition portfolio.
Another big name, at least for Italy, is current Minister of Economy, Giancarlo Giorgetti. However, these last options seem to be fading, since Meloni wants his ministers to remain in their positions to avoid any reshuffle of the Government.
ADVERTISINGWhat do the latest pools say?
Inevitably, EU senior officials They have become currency in the ‘Squid game’ post-election
Meloni tries to play the card Marine Le Pen and balancing the role of the Identity and Democracy group in the middle of the game of coalition negotiations. He Italian conservative government needs to broaden the platform of top-level negotiations to include talks concerning political groups in Parliament.
The new Parliament has a clear conservative majority and, from the point of view of the Italian executive, it is an excellent opportunity for a confrontation with the socialists of the S&D and the Renew Europe liberals, the group of French President Emmanuel Macron in the European Parliament.
He political conflict between conservatives, liberals and socialists burst into the Italy’s recent G7where a controversy over abortion It became a ‘casus belli’ between the French president – who is fighting at home against the extreme right of Marine Le Pen – and the Italian ‘premier’, eager to take advantage of his electoral victory.
That could be the reason why the relations between Meloni and Von der Leyen They seem to have lost their warmth.
ADVERTISINGWhile Meloni can barely keep up appearances around Macron, for Von der Leyen, The French leader remains key in his calculationsyes, especially if you win early parliamentary elections of the country at the end of June and July.
