EU top diplomat Josep Borrell nominating Italian former foreign minister and Deputy Prime Minister Luigi Di Maio to be the bloc’s special envoy to the Persian Gulf has been met with protest from some political parties and doubt among several experts in Rome.
The governing parties immediately distanced themselves, with Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani (Forza Italia/European People’s Party) describing Borrell’s choice as “legitimate” but not shared with Rome.
Di Maio’s candidacy was inherited from the previous Mario Draghi government.
League (ID) MEP Paolo Borchia told EURACTIV that Di Maio would be an “inadequate profile” and that the security of energy supplies “cannot be the object of improvised negotiators”.
In an official note, the Fratelli d’Italia (ECR) delegation to the European Parliament writes that the appointment “was not endorsed or supported in any way by the Meloni government” and expresses mainly one Italian“negative judgment on the management of the whole affair”.
The decision by the EU High Representative for Foreign Policy was announced on 21 April in a letter addressed to the ambassadors of the Political Security Committee (COPS) of the 27 member States, who then have to ratify the proposal by a qualified majority.
'Qatargate' spat extends to EU Gulf envoy selection
“Qatargate” has caused shockwaves across Europe, and for now, several prominent members of the European socialist group have been involved mostly Italians. But there is one Italian who could gain something out of this: Luigi Di Maio.
Di Maio is a …
According to Borrell, Di Maio is the “most suitable candidate”.
“As former foreign minister of Italy, Mr Di Maio has the necessary political profile at the international level for this role”, the letter reads.
“His broad contacts with Gulf countries will allow him to engage with the relevant actors at the appropriate level[…] We have to maintain the momentum of our enhanced engagement with the Gulf. I, therefore, count on your support to Mr Di Maio in implementing our strategic partnership with Gulf partners”, Borrell noted.
The appointment comes after the former deputy prime minister was recommended as an ideal candidate for the role in July 2022 by the technical panel in Brussels that was tasked with evaluating the curricula of aspiring special envoys: former Cypriot Foreign Minister Markos Kyprianou, former UN envoy to Libya Jan Kubis (Slovak), and former European Commissioner Dimitris Avramopoulos.
Avramopoulos, a Greek politician, had expressed his strong desire to take the role, and for many, he was considered a frontrunner.
But his participation in the “Fight Impunity” NGO founded by Pier Antonio Panzeri, the alleged mastermind behind the Qatargate, ruined his chances. Several press reports in Italy linked him to the scandal, with Avramopoulos claiming it was a personal attack to prevent him from getting the EU Gulf job.
Also read: Avramopoulos alleges Italian conspiracy behind Qatargate attacks
Although the EU Commission services found no wrongdoing in his relations with the EU officials when he was a member of the NGO, it seems he was dealt a severe blow. He recently announced that he would run for the national elections in Greece.
Meloni failed to block Di Maio
After Italy’s general elections in September 2022, Giorgia Meloni (ECR) became prime minister in a coalition government with centre-right Forza Italia (EPP) and Matteo Salvini’s far-right League.
Di Maio’s appointment seemed to be temporarily frozen, however, the new government did not succeed in changing the candidate for the role.
“Borrell has made a choice that is certainly legitimate on a formal level but which, in the face of the changed political framework, he should have had the sensitivity to confront with the new government, which, moreover, has been committed since its inauguration to normalising relations with some Gulf states after the diplomatic tensions that have arisen precisely in recent years”, reads the official note of the FDI delegation to the European Parliament.
The discontent with Di Maio, former leader of the 5 Star Movement, mainly concerns his poor CV and gaffes during his tenure as foreign minister.
One of them was calling Chinese President Xi Jinping “Ping” during a press conference in Shanghai.
In November 2022, MEP Borchia asked, in a parliamentary question directed to EU High Representative Borrell, whether Di Maio was qualified for the post, despite his lack of a university degree or professional-level knowledge of foreign languages.
Borrell’s answer was vague as the selection process was still ongoing, but Borchia will resubmit the question to clarify the selection method and to know the objectives assigned to Di Maio.
“This time, the answers should not be vague. The EU cannot become an armchair, and choices of this level go to the detriment of the Union’s credibility”, the ID MEP told EURACTIV.
Di Maio’s appointment is expected to be for an initial period of 21 months, from 1 June until 28 February 2025.
(Federica Pascale | EURACTIV.it)
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