Rome, The nomination of Italy’s new European Commissioner will be the focus of talks with European Commission President-elect Ursula von der Leyen and the government is seeking a “high-profile” portfolio, Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte said on Friday.
“The nomination of the Italian Commissioner is the focus of our discussions and we want a high-profile portfolio,” Conte told reporters ahead of his talks with von der Leyen.
“We believe this is in line with the responsibilities that Italy wants to take on and with its ambitions,” he added.
The government was willing to agree on a candidate whose “competence, ability and availability” best suited them to the role, he added.
“This is in Italy’s best interests and those of the whole of Europe,” Conte stated.
The PM also called on the European Union to renew its institutions, improve their governance and transparency, and bring them closer to citizens and their problems.
“We must reform European institutions and make their governance more effective,” he said.
The Italian government want the decisions taken by Europe “to be perceived as being transparent,” he underlined.
“To bring Europe closer to citizens, to counter mistrust, we must work harder to offer adequate solutions to the urgent problems signalled by our citizens,” Conte said.