De Gennaro remains the favorite – Corriere.it

Palazzo Chigi’s mandate on the latest spring appointments is to play down, dilute, try to calm spirits. The ministers do it, starting with Matteo Salvini, and the premier does it above all, when she publicly says that the government is proceeding with serenity even on the case, to say the least, unusual, of the Finance Guard, without “breaks” and within the established times. Yet under the ashes thrown in handfuls by Giorgia Meloni a few embers still burn. The choice on which there is still no agreement between the president, Giancarlo Giorgetti and the parties is in fact the important and strategic one of the new commander Gdf, which requires the signature of the Minister of Economy and the “concert” of the Minister of Defence.

Towards the CDM

The alternative name able to restore peace in the majority after the tug of war that opposed Meloni-Mantua Giorgetti-Crosetto didn’t jump out and, barring today’s surprises, time is running out. At five o’clock today the general Joseph Zafaranadestined for the presidency of Eni, will pass with a ceremony awards and stars to the second in command of the Fiamme Gialle, Andrew DeGennaro. Time assignment, but «theinterim it won’t be long,” government sources assure. But that doesn’t mean that Gianni’s brother, former Chief of Police, will in turn have to leave the command. The “normal rotation” could soon become an appointment in all respects, formalized by the Council of Ministers.

It is no mystery that Andrea De Gennaro enjoys the esteem of the prime minister and the undersecretary to the presidency, Alfredo Mantovano. At Palazzo Chigi, where each evaluation is declined by conjugating the verbs in the conditional, that of the commander in pectoris the most solid profile is also considered for personal data, the least divisive and also the one that boasts the strongest relations with the leader of the Brothers of Italy. Last Thursday, while the ministers whiled away the time waiting for the start of the CDM, yes in Meloni’s room he argued animatedly and the theme was De Gennaro yes, De Gennaro no.

Alternative names

The square was not found, because Giorgetti and Crosetto pushed in tandem for the commander of the special departments Umberto Sirico and they managed to freeze the appointment. But that was only the first round. The second could be won by Palazzo Chigi, leaving the shortlist of alternative names to wither (Cuneo, Carrarini, Gibilaro, Greco, Carbone, Buratti) and snatching Giorgetti’s signature on the decree appointing De Gennaro, by virtue of the fact that the Northern League minister « has no preclusions” on the candidate on pole. If De Gennaro can remain at the helm of the Yellow flames it will also mean that Meloni will have reached a clarification with Crosetto and obtained a (suffering) go-ahead from the co-founder of FdI. The Deputy Prime Minister Antonio Tajani he said he was certain that an agreement was close and that the official appointment “will be at the next CDM”. But the economy minister will fly to Japan tomorrow, so it is probable that Thursday’s meeting will not be the right one to close the case.

The prefect of Rome

Even the Mef is doing everything to convince that there was no clash between the prime minister and the ministers and that the press would have emphasized internal tensions within the Guardia di Finanza. The mess also blocked the replacement of the Chief of Police, a dossier which, however, should not hold any surprises. At Palazzo Chigi it was decided to replace Lamberto Giannini and appoint the Calabrian “super policeman” in his place Victor Pisani, Aisi deputy director sponsored by Salvini. The agreement has been armored for days, waiting for the Fiamme Gialle game to be unblocked. As for Giannini, whom Meloni wants to “send” to Rome as prefect with special powers on the Jubilee 2025, yesterday they saw him go around the hemicycle of Palazzo Madama shaking hands with senators and group leaders. «There was an air of embarrassment – says a member of the opposition who was present at the Morandi concert -. It has never happened that a police chief has found himself prefect ». And how would Giannini take it? «According to him, “as a servant of the state”».

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