European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced on Tuesday that she has proposed six executive vice presidents for the new EU executive, including Italy’s Raffaele Fitto.
Fitto, Italy’s European Affairs Minister, will take on the role of Executive Vice President for Cohesion and Reforms, von der Leyen confirmed at a press conference.
Alongside Fitto, the top roles will go to Spain’s Teresa Ribera, Finland’s Henna Virkkunen, France’s Stéphane Séjourné, Estonia’s Kaja Kallas, and Romania’s Roxana Minzatu. Fitto, a key figure in Premier Giorgia Meloni’s Brothers of Italy party, is also responsible for overseeing Italy’s EU-funded post-Covid National Recovery and Resilience Plan (NRRP).
“Raffaele Fitto will be responsible for cohesion policies, regional development, and cities,” von der Leyen stated. “He brings great experience to modernising and strengthening investments in cohesion and growth policies. Italy is a very important country, and this is reflected in our selection.”
She also noted the European Parliament has 14 vice presidents, two of whom are from the European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR), the group to which Meloni’s Brothers of Italy belongs. “I have taken this into account in the composition of the Commission,” von der Leyen added.
Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni congratulated Fitto on his appointment, calling it “an important recognition that confirms Italy’s regained central role within the EU.” She emphasised “Italy is once again a key player in Europe” and expressed confidence that Fitto will perform his role well “in the interest of Europe and Italy.”
Deputy Premier and Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani also praised the appointment on social media, calling it “excellent news” and a reflection of Italy’s growing credibility and influence in Europe. He described the appointment as a “government success.”
