Two heads leading one group never works. This is why, to avoid - without controversy - misunderstandings and confusion of roles, the president of the Ferrovie dello Stato, Marcello Messori, has entrusted the company's board of directors with the special powers, on privatization and liberalization, which the shareholder Tesoro had conferred on him at the time of the appointment which took place four months ago. Messori himself announced it in an interview that appeared this morning in the "Corriere della Sera". Head of the company remains the ad Elia. Messori will maintain the powers of internal control.
Messori, in the intentions of Treasury Minister Pier Carlo Padoan, who strongly wanted him as president, should have designed the path that leads to the privatization of Fs and the full liberalization of the railway sector, but when discussions began on what to privatize and whether or not to spin off the FS network at the top of the company, differences of opinion immediately emerged between Messori and Elia himself.
To avoid slowing down the privatization process or sinking it into controversy, Messori took a step back with a gesture that does him credit. But the president will continue to fight to achieve the objectives indicated by the Treasury.
The key point is deciding what to privatize: all the Fs or Trenitalia or just the High Speed? It is to be hoped that Messori's move will lead to the expected clarification. And possibly in a short time.
