The Italian government tapped
European Affairs Minister Raffaele Fitto as European
commissioner, Premier Giorgia Meloni announced at a government
meeting on Friday, according to well-informed sources.
Meloni told the gathering that she would communicate to European
Commission President Ursula von der Leyen's 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", according to the sources.
"It is a painful choice for me, and for the government, but it
is a necessary choice", she is reported to have said.
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.
Meanwhile Fitto thanked Meloni and the cabinet for naming him as
candidate to be a European Commissioner.
"Over the next five years, the Commission led by Ursula von der
Leyen will have a fundamental role in strengthening the European
Union, in the well-being and security of its citizens as well as
to favour the solution of major international crises.
"I am ready to give my contribution to reach these objectives",
said Fitto, who is also the minister for the south, territorial
cohesion and the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (NRRP).
Meloni has indicated that she hopes Fitto will claim one of the
vice presidential positions on the EC.
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