Italian government proposes Fitto as European Commissioner

(ANSA) - ROME, AUG 30 - The Italian government has indicated European Affairs Minister Raffaele Fitto as its pick for European Commissioner, Premier Giorgia Meloni announced during a government meeting on Friday, according to well-informed sources. Meloni said she would communicate to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen Fitto's name as commissioner "and I ask everybody to applaud and wish good luck to Raffaele, who has an extremely difficult and at the same time exciting task ahead", Meloni told the meeting, according to the sources.
    "It is a painful choice for me, and for the government, but it is a necessary choice". The premier added the choice is "delicate and very important for us and for Italy in the coming years.
    "Our choice falls on a person who has great experience and who has been able to govern the responsibilities entrusted to him in this government with excellent results", Meloni noted.
    "We are obviously continuing to work on a role we are asking for Italy.
    "And, although I see many Italians rooting against an adequate role for our nation, I see no reason to believe that this role will not be recognized.
    "Neither for sympathy or antipathy against our government but because we are Italy, a founding nation, second manufacture and third European economy, third member State for population, with a leading role in many fields.
    "And, today, we can also count on renewed political stability and on an economic stability that few others have in the rest of Europe", Meloni told the cabinet meeting, after announcing the designation of Fitto as commissioner, the sources said. (ANSA).