Two heavy appointments to restart. After days of high tension, the government tries to regroup by choosing Fabio Panetta to head the Bank of Italy and Francesco Paolo Figliuolo as commissioner for post-flood reconstruction.

Panetta had been the first option for choosing the minister of the economy . Nine months later, Giorgia Meloni bets on Fabio Panetta for Bank of Italy and the Council of Ministers indicates him as governor, a role in which the economist will take up office on November 1st, the day after the expiry of Ignazio Visco's mandate . A decision that, completely by chance, comes on the day in which the executive takes a decisive position against the continuous rises in interest rates by the ECB.

At the beginning of June, Panetta, who is part of the directorate of the European Central Bank, in an interview with Le Monde maintained that the ECB was "not far away" from the end of its rate hike, noting that "inflation is too high, but not there is cause for concern." From autumn he will have to face the scenario from Palazzo Koch, where he has already worked for seven years, until 2019, as deputy general manager and as general manager. The process for the appointment started in recent days with the unanimous positive opinion of the Superior Council of Bank of Italy on 23 June. In the Council of Ministers, the Minister of Economy, Giancarlo Giorgetti, gave a presentation report. As required by the procedure, the appointment decree will be submitted to the President of the Republic, Sergio Mattarella. In all likelihood, Meloni has already consulted with the Quirinale before making this decision, which already has the appreciation of the Democratic Party and Matteo Renzi.

"Two excellent, excellent, excellent appointments," said the IV leader, commenting on the choice of Panetta and that of Figliuolo as extraordinary commissioner for reconstruction after the floods that hit Emilia Romagna, Marche and Tuscany.

By choosing the general, the prime minister has defused a rebus that had generated a dangerous shock within the executive last week. On Thursday the appointment was postponed, together with the rest of the agenda of the Council of Ministers, including the road safety bill, on a day of strong tensions between Meloni and Matteo Salvini. A scenario in which the different sensitivities on the ratification of the Mes and the fibrillation for the Santanchè case were also intertwined. But, above all, at the center of the tug of war was the commissioner, with the Northern League leader pushing for a political figure and Meloni for a technique. This time the Council of Ministers went smoothly.

Soon, therefore, the flood dossier will pass to the same general to whom Mario Draghi had entrusted the task of straightening out the vaccination campaign against Covid between March 2021 and March 2022.

«We wish Figliuolo a good job. The deed of appointment will almost certainly be formalized next week." And the appointment of extraordinary commissioner "will last 5 years", specified the Minister of Civil Protection Nello Musumeci. But "we hope", underlined Musumeci, that the times foreseen by the law "are burnt and neutralized by the effectiveness of a team game".

(Unioneonline/vl)

© Riproduzione riservata