Weber confirms VP post plan for Italy -Martuscello

(ANSA) - ROME, SEP 4 - The president of the centre-right European People's Party (EPP) group in the European Parliament Manfred Weber has announced the strategy of European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen - the executive vice presidents in the new EU Commission "will be four and one will go to Italy", according to a statement published on Wednesday by the whip of Forza Italia (FI), a member of the EPP, in the European Parliament, Fulvio Martusciello.
    During an EPP meeting, "Weber recalled talks" held last week with Deputy Premier and Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani, leader of forza Italia, and Premier Giorgia Meloni "and the need for Italy to be a protagonist of the next Commission", said Martusciello.
    According to a report published by German daily Die Welt, Italy's nominee to be its member of the new EU executive, European Affairs Minister Raffaele Fitto, is set to be given the key post of Economy Vice President.
    The post would put Fitto, a senior figure in Premier Giorgia Meloni's right-wing Brothers of Italy (FdI) party, in charge of overseeing the EU's post-pandemic Recovery Fund, according to the report.
    In his current position, Fitto is in charge of Italy's National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNNR), which seeks to make the Italian economy greener and more modern with the help of around 190 billion euros in grants and low-interest loans from the Recovery Fund. (ANSA).