Franco Frattini becomes president of the Council of State. The former Foreign Minister, former European Commissioner for Justice and president of SIOI since 2012 was unanimously elected by the self-governing body of Sword Palace. The appointment will be formalized with a resolution of the next Council of Ministers and a decree of the President of the Republic in office, Sergio Mattarella. Frattini will take the place of Philip Patroni Griffi which will instead go to the Constitutional Court.
The current president of Palazzo Spada, Patroni Griffi – former minister for public administration in the Monti government and undersecretary to the prime minister in the Letta government – will remain in office until his oath as a constitutional judge, which should take place on 28 January when Giancarlo Courage, he will leave the Court due to the expiry of his mandate.
The practice dictates that the task to the Council of State be assigned on the basis of the seniority criterion of service, Frattini - a deputy for three legislatures, twice Foreign Minister of the Berlusconi governments and European Commissioner for Justice - began his career in Palazzo Spada at the age of 28, in 1986.
The counting of career years does not stop if you take on other roles, such as politicians. And precisely on the basis of this criterion, last year Frattini was nominated deputy president of the Council of State.
History repeats itself between the Council of State and the Court. As in 2012, once again the new constitutional judge is the current president of the administrative justice. At the time Giancarlo Coraggio (in office at the Court since 28 January 2013), today Griffi elected by the magistrates of the Council of State following the outcome of the ballot with Luigi Maruotti, president of the Sixth Section of the Council of State.
