The game of public nominations is open. But so many are on the field that it is impossible to hazard predictions on the result. In 2014 the boards of 14 companies directly owned by the Treasury will be renewed. If we add those that are indirectly owned, the number rises to 29. In total, there are 501 seats to assign.
The point is that in the vast sea of renewals (or, why not, even confirmations), we could witness one of the many watersheds facing the political class. Will the total appointments see the confirmation en bloc of the leaders in office or will we also see a renewal of seats in public bodies, as hoped for (and demonstrated) by the election of Matteo Renzi at the top of the Democratic Party? Difficult to say, but it would be useful to distinguish case by case and evaluate not only the professional profiles of the individual candidates but also the results obtained.
Meanwhile, the rules of the game are fixed. The companies concerned have delivered the lists to the Ministry of the Economy, which last year created a special public nominations committee, in charge of certifying the nominations, which must comply with precise prescriptions of competence, professionalism and integrity. The committee is chaired by the former president of the Consulta, Cesare Mirabelli, and includes the former general manager of Bankitalia, Vincenzo Desario, and the former general manager of the CDP, Maria Teresa Salvemini.
Difficult forecasts on the results, we said, also because there are no mandate limits for directors in company management. At stake are long-time managers Paolo Scaroni (Eni), Fulvio Conti (at the helm of Enel since 2005), Flavio Cattaneo (Terna) and Massimo Sarmi (CEO of Poste since May 2002). But the list also includes Alessandro Pansa (Finmeccanica) and the heads of leading companies such as Arcus, Consap, Enav (whose privatization process has been launched), Istituto Luce, Istituto Poligrafico dello Stato and Italia Lavoro, as well as others less well known such as Ram Rete Autostrade Mediterranee, Sogesid and Studiare Sviluppo
