Roberto Battiston is no longer the president of the Italian Space Agency (ASI). He announced it himself with a vitriolic tweet.
Today Minister Bussetti to my surprise informed me of the immediate revocation of the office of President Asi. It is the first spoil system of Ente di Ricerca. Thanks to the thousands of people with whom I have shared four fantastic years of Spazio Italiano. Roberto Battiston pic.twitter.com/jGRnfgcae7
— Roberto Battiston (@Rb_Bat) November 6, 2018
“Today, to my surprise, Minister Bussetti communicated to me the immediate revocation of the office of President Asi. It is the first spoil system of Ente di Ricerca”, wrote Battiston. “Thanks – he added – to the thousands of people with whom I have shared four fantastic years of Spazio Italiano”.
According to Ansa, the revocation is based on one formal verification of the modalities in which the nomination took place.
Sources from the Ministry of Education, Universities and Research point out that Battiston's appointment had been signed by then Minister Valeria Fedeli on May 7, i.e. after the March 4 elections, a period during which the representatives of the old government acted in ordinary administration.
Battiston's appointment, continues Ansa which still cites sources from the ministry, was not submitted to the prior and mandatory opinion of the Interministerial Committee for Aerospace Policies, set up with Law 7 2018, which entered into force at the beginning of 2018.
