for public appointmentsexpected by 20th April with the presentation of lists of candidates, the battle finally comes alive. How easy it was to predict, the Five Stars who take the field for the first and perhaps last time on renewals at the top of large public groups, want to have their say. And they do it on the presidencies of Eni, Enel, Leonardo, Terna, Poste Italiane ed Enav.
As for the formation of the list of ministers, which can change even at the last second, everything can change at any moment for the public appointments of large public groups. But as things stand, there seem to be two prevailing orientations at the moment. inside the majority:
- general confirmation of the current CEOs of Eni, Enel, Terna, Leonardo, Poste Italiane and Enav, but of course not of Monte dei Paschi, after that CEO Marco Morelli has called himself out from running;
- almost total renewal of the presidencies of the same groups, except for Enel, where Patrizia Grieco, a great expert on corporate governance, seems to be heading towards reconfirmation due to gender balance but also because she is considered an integral part of the team that, with CEO Francesco Starace, has led the electricity group to success in the energy transition.
PUBLIC APPOINTMENTS: THE CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICERS
Consequently, if the cards do not change in extremis, the Government seems oriented to confirm as CEO Claudio Descalzi at the helm of Eni, Francesco Starace to Enel, Luigi Ferraris in Terna, Alessandro Profumo to Leonardo, Matthew Del Fante to Poste Italiane and Roberto Neri at Enav.
PUBLIC APPOINTMENTS: THE PRESIDENTS
The news should instead concern the presidencies for which the indiscretions of the palace, reported by "la Repubblica", speak of the great return of Franco Bernabè at ENI, where he was already managing director in the early 90s to rebuild the oil giant after the breakdowns of Tangentopoli. Alternatively there is the candidacy of Gianni DeGennaro, the very powerful former Chief of Police, now in the presidency of Leonardo, where the Five Stars would like to name Luciano Carta, former general of the Guardia di Finanza Army Corps and since 2018 director of Aise, the internal security agency. But the choice of the presidents of Eni and Leonardo, also due to their strong domestic and foreign policy implications, is very delicate and this is why Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte wants to have the last word.
The changes in the presidency of the other groups seem to be easier: for the Italian post name is mentioned Nicholas Maione, current president of Enav, who also enjoys the favor of the Renzians. But the card that more than others the Five Stars would like to spend is that of Stefano Donnarumma, the current CEO of Acea (the former municipal company of Rome), which seems to aspire to the presidency of Terna.
THE MPS CASE
For reasons of gender, but also of professional competence and continuity as in the case of Enel, the confirmation of Stephanie Bariatti to the presidency of Monte dei Paschi, while at the helm of the Sienese bank the Government has yet to decide whether to focus on an internal appointment, such as that of the Cfo Andrea Rovellini, or external, for which they are currently among the eligible candidates Alberto Minali, former CEO of Cattolica Assicurazioni, Fabio Innocenzi, former CEO of Banca Carige, e Fabius Gaul, previously CEO of BNL and later of CDP.
THE CHANGES IN THE BOD
Ample finally looms large the change of boards of directors, where the appetites of the parties will not fail to emerge. The next few days will be crucial and, in the case of big public appointments, the twists are always around the corner.
