Francesco Figliuolo commissioner for reconstruction in Emilia Romagna

The government has chosen: it will be Francesco Paolo Figliuolo the commissioner for reconstruction after the floods in Romagna last May. After a long gestation, the nomination rewards the general of the Alpini, who has risen to the headlines for the success of the vaccination campaign against Covid-19. Figliuolo, then logistic commander of the Army, was nominated in March 1921 by the premier Mario Draghito replace the special commissioner Paolo Arcuri.

Carried out the assignment with objective efficiency, the general of Potenza origin then returned to the Armed Forces, and is currently the head of the joint operational command (COVI). As anticipated by Republic, his name had entered the shortlist of candidates for the reconstruction job. The last ballot saw him running together with Guido Bertolasothe man who Romano Prodi appointed to lead the Civil Protection and who was then called to manage numerous emergency fronts, including that of waste in Campania and the post-earthquake one in Abruzzo, on behalf of Silvio Berlusconi. Involved in various investigations into the G8 at La Maddalena in 2009 and the earthquake in L’Aquila, Bertolaso ​​emerged unscathed amid acquittals and filings. And he is currently the Welfare Councilor of the Lombardy Region.

But in the end the majority reached an agreement on Figliuolo, whose name had also circulated among the heads of the Defense General Staff. As post-flood commissioner, he will find himself supervising the 2.2 billion already allocated and a long-term plan. The green light for the appointment will be discussed in the Council of Ministers at 6 pm, with a decree law on the agenda with urgent provisions for the reconstruction of the areas affected by the flood.