(Bloomberg) -- Italy should seek a top job with an economic portfolio in the European Union’s new executive arm to be formed later this year, the nation’s main business lobby said.
“In order to be proactive and to play the role that we deserve in Europe, the Italian government must be able to propose and obtain a commissioner with a specific economic portfolio -- trade, industry, internal market, economic affairs or competition,” Confindustria head Vincenzo Boccia said Wednesday, speaking at the lobby’s annual gathering in Rome.
The current commission headed by Jean-Claude Juncker includes Italy’s Federica Mogherini as foreign-policy chief. In the previous commission led by Jose Manuel Barroso, the nation was represented by Antonio Tajani, who headed the industry portfolio and currently is president of the European Parliament. Mario Draghi, another Italian, is head of the European Central Bank, though his term ends in October.
“Obtaining an economic commissioner would certainly be a good thing, because although the members of the commission are supposed to represent all the EU nations, they inevitably end up caring a lot about their own nations,” Carlo Cottarelli, a former International Monetary Fund executive, told reporters on the sidelines of the Confindustria’s meeting.
“Claiming the foreign-affairs job five years ago wasn’t a particularly smart choice for Italy,” said Cottarelli, who nearly became Italian premier following inconclusive elections last year and before a populist administration including the anti-establishment Five Star Movement and rightist League was formed.
Deputy Premier Luigi Di Maio agreed with Confindustria’s call for a top economic post in the next commission, saying that Italy will claim a portfolio “such as industry, business, competition, trade, internal market.”
“In any case, Italy must regain a role within the commission which will allow us to have an influence on the EU industrial policies,” he told the business lobby’s gathering.
(Adds deputy premier’s comments in final paragraph.)
