«On Di Maio controversy from kindergarten. Our quarrels are not exported to Brussels»- Corriere.it

“I’m old school. I’ve been taught since my youth that we don’t export our quarrels to Brussels. If an Italian is chosen for a position of responsibility, the circumstance can arouse satisfaction as the only reaction». For Pier Ferdinando Casini the story ofindication of Luigi Di Maio for the post of EU special envoy for the Gulf
ends here. Or at least it should.

Senator Casini, was among the first to congratulate publicly on Di Maio’s suggestion. Many reactions, however, have been negative.

“Already. In Italy the temptation to kick the donkey is always very strong. We witnessed the usual kindergarten controversy, perhaps with the hope of getting a few more votes in the elections ».

Kick the donkey?

“The temptation to retaliate against the powerful who have fallen into disgrace is always too strong. The same people engaged in the permanent service of disproportionate respects suddenly become the most ardent detractors. I have experienced this dozens of times in my political life. The serious thing is that the most significant circumstance escapes».

The appointment of an Italian to an international role?

“Sure! Choosing an Italian should be a source of satisfaction for everyone and our quarrels shouldn’t be exported. This applies to the right as well as the left which, for example, makes mistakes when it uses the European Parliament to criticize the Italian government. I was pleased, in his time, for the choice of Tajani as vice president of the Commission as well as recently for the appointment of Gentiloni as economic commissioner. Why shouldn’t I congratulate Di Maio on the appointment?».

Do you think he’s eligible for the job?

«I don’t know the requisites required but there is a technical commission set up by the European Commission: he judged Di Maio the best choice both for the experience he had as foreign minister and for the talks he held with the members of the commission. The question of merit ends here. What is the charge? How can all this malice be explained? If the criticisms come from the League, then, which with Di Maio was in government with Conte and with Draghi premier … I would say that they could show a lot of indignation when they supported him in his institutional roles ».

They say Di Maio created strained relations with the Arab Emirates when he was foreign minister.

“Well, it’s really strange that someone today improvises as a defense attorney for the gulf countries. I would add that anyone who thinks that Borrell has indicated a name without having first verified the approval of those countries is naive. It reminds me of that politician who many years ago, during a meeting with the Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni, a former secret agent, intervened inviting her to distrust the Palestinians. A frankly embarrassing neophyte zeal».

They also say: Di Maio becomes EU special envoy after his rejection of the September elections.

«Mica was called to enter a government after a failed election. This is a technical role of high political significance, but it is still a fiduciary mission in the name and on behalf of Vice President Borrell. And then we tell the truth? Di Maio had at least two phases. In the first he interpreted a silly and harmful anti-politics as the facts have shown. But there is a second Di Maio who applied himself to the Farnesina school and who was a capable and serious minister. Do we want to live permanently with feelings of revenge and revanchism? Personally, I think this is the worst part of politics.”

Former Prime Minister Draghi had been consulted on Di Maio. Could the new Italian government have wanted to point to someone else?

«But if the procedure had already been started and defined when the government changed in Italy! Who should have proposed another name? The truth is that the only result achieved by this government with its hesitations was to lose a year”.