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Italy's Commissioner pick Fitto might face a rocky road to approval

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Italy's Commissioner pick Fitto might face a rocky road to approval

Many agree that if Brothers of Italy’s Fitto is given the executive vice-president portfolio in charge of the economy and post-pandemic recovery, this would be a significant victory for Rome.

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Italy named its EU affairs minister, Raffaele Fitto, as its next Commissioner right as the clock for nominating European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen’s new team was about to run out.

While Fitto might seem like a good fit to serve as Commissioner, he still has a long way to go before his appointment is confirmed — and the path is not without obstacles.

As a 55-year-old career politician and far-right Brothers of Italy party member, Fitto does not lack experience, having held high positions in EU institutions and the Italian government.

Most importantly, the minister for EU affairs, the South, cohesion policies and NRRP — and the former minister of regional affairs and long-time MEP — also has the backing of his party.

“I think he will end up being the most qualified among the other Commissioners,” Brothers of Italy senator Lucio Malan told Euronews.

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“Fitto is extremely prepared for the role. He has the experience and the skills but he has also achieved great result these past few years having to manage recovery funds.”

Not an easy ride for Fitto?

However, things might not go so smoothly for Fitto once in Brussels.

The approval process for new Commissioners can be challenging and includes screenings and hearings.

“Liberals already said that they are not in favour of his candidacy,” political analyst Giovanni Orsina tells Euronews, “and it remains to be seen how much support Fitto will get from the (centre-right) EPP also because the Socialists and the Liberals will need the support of the EPP.”

“So if the EPP stands by him, his chances of being appointed will be greater. Anything can happen and it’s not an easy contest,” he added.

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If he passes the test, Premier Giorgia Meloni’s government can benefit from Fitto’s appointment, Orsina said.

“Between June and July, Meloni was heavily criticised by opposition parties because they had accused her of isolating Italy,” he recalled.

“But if today she manages to secure an executive vice presidency for Italy, she can challenge opposition forces by showing that she played her cards well.”

But there’s another reading of Fitto’s possible appointment, which, according to Orsina, is directly linked to the Italian PM’s decision to withdraw support for von der Leyen’s re-election as European Commission president.

“Her decision at the time was part of an agreement with the EPP. If Fitto is appointed, it shows that it’s all part of the same deal,” said Orsina.

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A capable survivor

However, if the relations between Meloni and VDL are not on the mend, Fitto might still have a rough path ahead and some hard questions to answer. As a Commissioner who will likely get a big economy-related portfolio, Fitto’s — and Meloni’s — opponents in the Parliament might choose to grill him over his past.

In 2006, as former president of the Adriatic coast region of Apulia, Fitto was accused of partaking in bribery ahead of the 2005 regional elections. However, judges have since cleared him of any wrongdoing, most recently at the Supreme Court of Cassation in 2017.

Similarly, in 2009, Fitto was again brought before a judge in connection to shorting the stocks of Cedis, a trading company — a move that led to its eventual bankruptcy. The charges didn’t stick this time either, and he was acquitted in 2012.

Yet, Fitto is a capable survivor, hardened by decades of navigating Italy’s famously flip-flopping-prone and intrigue-riddled politics.

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Although he began his career back in the 1990s as a member of Christian Democracy — a now-defunct ruling party mainstay — Fitto came to prominence after he pledged his allegiance to Forza Italia and its populist firebrand Silvio Berlusconi.

Berlusconi, who revelled in discovering up-and-coming politicians and was responsible for bringing the likes of Meloni and far-right Lega’s Matteo Salvini to the fore, named him his minister for the regions, propelling his career upward since.

Meloni’s trust in Fitto is also quite clear. As her party’s MEP, he co-presided over the European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR) group in the European Parliament and became one of her first cabinet picks following her election victory in 2022.

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The ball is in VDL’s court

Many agree that if Fitto is given the executive vice-president portfolio in charge of the economy and post-pandemic recovery, this would be a significant victory for Italy.

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According to Gianni Pittella, former vice-president of the European Parliament and S&D MEP, “the vice-presidency role would allow Fitto to cover a wide range of issues and if he is in charge of the pandemic recovery funds.

“It would give him the opportunity to look after Italy, which is the largest recipient of the Next Generation EU funds,” Pittela, now mayor of Lauria, told Euronews.

“If he is also given responsibility of the economy (portfolio), he would oversee the stability pact, which is crucial for Rome.”

As Orsina pointed out, the economy portfolio is even more relevant to Meloni’s government, given that the EU has placed Italy under the excessive deficit procedure. For now, all eyes are on der Leyen, who will soon present her team and their portfolios.

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Mexico pyramid shooter who took hostages and killed 1 is identified

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Mexico pyramid shooter who took hostages and killed 1 is identified

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A gunman who fatally shot a Canadian tourist and wounded more than a dozen others atop a historic pyramid in Mexico on Monday has been identified, according to officials.

Authorities identified the gunman as 27-year-old Julio Cesar Jasso, a Mexican national, according to a state official who spoke anonymously because they were not authorized to discuss the case publicly.

Jasso later died by suicide after turning the gun on himself, and security officials found a gun, a knife and ammunition. Authorities said he acted alone, with the State of Mexico government confirming he was the sole assailant on Monday night.

Officials said seven of the victims were struck by gunfire, while others were hurt in the chaos as people scrambled to get down from the pyramids, with some falling during the panic.

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EX-TV REPORTER ALLEGEDLY TURNED ROADSIDE GUNMAN, GRILLED VICTIMS ON ETHNICITY BEFORE OPENING FIRE

The Pyramid of the Moon and the Pyramid of the Sun are seen along with smaller structures lining the Avenue of the Dead in Teotihuacan, Mexico, on March 19, 2020. A gunman killed a Canadian tourist and injured several others before taking his own life at the popular site, authorities said Monday. (Rebecca Blackwell/AP)

Those hospitalized included tourists from several countries, among them the United States, Colombia, Russia, Brazil and Canada, authorities said. The victims ranged in age from 6 to 61.

Footage circulating in local media appears to show the suspect positioned atop the structure as visitors rushed for safety below, with gunfire echoing across the site.

Police and forensic workers stand on a pyramid after authorities said a gunman opened fire in Teotihuacan, Mexico, Monday, April 20, 2026. (AP Photo/Eduardo Verdugo)

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The Teotihuacan complex, located just outside Mexico City, is one of the country’s most visited archaeological landmarks, drawing millions of international visitors each year to its towering pre-Hispanic structures.

MOSCOW-BORN GUNMAN DEAD AFTER KYIV SHOOTING RAMPAGE LEAVES AT LEAST 6 DEAD, 14 WOUNDED: ZELENSKYY

The shooting took place shortly after 11:30 a.m. when dozens of tourists were at the top of the Pyramid of the Moon.

Security measures at the site have changed in recent years, with routine entry screenings no longer consistently in place, according to a local guide.

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum wrote on social media that the shooting would be investigated and that she was in touch with the Canadian Embassy.

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“What happened today in Teotihuacán deeply pains us. I express my most sincere solidarity with the affected individuals and their families,” she wrote.

Anita Anand, Canada’s foreign affairs minister, said on X that as a “result of a horrific act of gun violence, a Canadian was killed and another wounded in Teotihuacán” and that her “thoughts are with their family and loved ones.”

People visit the Pyramid of the Sun in the pre-Hispanic city of Teotihuacan near Mexico City, Mexico, on March 21, 2024, following the spring equinox. (Henry Romero/Reuters)

Later in the evening, U.S. Ambassador to Mexico Ronald Johnson also expressed “deep concern” and sadness over the deaths and numerous injuries, and said in a post on X that the U.S. is “ready to provide support as needed while Mexican authorities continue their investigation.”

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The National Institute of Anthropology and History said in a statement that the Teotihuacán archaeological site will remain closed until further notice.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Appetite among NATO members to join Iran war ‘very limited’, says Eide

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Appetite among NATO members to join Iran war ‘very limited’, says Eide

Norway has pushed back against criticism from US President Donald Trump over what he described as “zero” European support in the conflict with Iran.

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“NATO is a defensive alliance. It is not an attack alliance,” Norway’s Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide told Euronews’ Europe Today flagship morning show.

Eide said NATO members are focused on safeguarding key global trade routes, including keeping the Strait of Hormuz open. “NATO countries are doing something, but it’s not as a party to a conflict,” he added.

Trump has repeatedly criticised NATO allies for not backing Washington in the Iran conflict. He raised the issue again during a White House meeting earlier this month with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte.

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Eide argued that there had been no prior preparation or consensus within the alliance. As a result, there is “very limited appetite” among member states to join the war.

He said that while both the US and Iran may have reasons to end the conflict, “the sides are far apart”, with negotiations hindered by opposing demands.

On Monday, Trump said the United States would maintain its blockade of Iranian ports until Tehran agrees to a peace deal.

Still, Eide pointed to signs of “some progress”, noting the broader global impact of the conflict. “This is not only an issue for the two sides, but it affects the whole world economy,” he said.

Addressing a European diplomatic push to establish a Palestinian state, Eide reiterated support for a two-state solution based on long-standing United Nations principles. However, he acknowledged that such an outcome is “not around the corner”.

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He added that a two-state solution is also in Israel’s interest, describing it as “the only viable solution for real peace in a very troubled region”.

Norway, alongside Spain and Ireland, recognised the State of Palestine in 2024.

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Iran War Live Updates: Trump Officials and Iran Plan New Talks Despite Mixed Messages

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Iran War Live Updates: Trump Officials and Iran Plan New Talks Despite Mixed Messages

The United States military last week extended its blockade on vessels coming in and out of Iranian ports to the waters of the wider world, declaring that it would pursue any ship aiding Iran, regardless of location on the high seas or flag.

The U.S. “will actively pursue any Iranian-flagged vessel or any vessel attempting to provide material support to Iran,” Gen. Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said Thursday, noting that the American troops beyond the Middle East will engage in operations to thwart Iranian shipping.

The extension of the blockade comes as the economically vital Strait of Hormuz remains all but closed to commercial traffic and the two-week cease-fire between the United States and Iran nears an end. The move aligns longstanding American economic policies targeting Iran with the current military campaign against it, maritime and military law experts say.

But it raises a host of legal and practical questions.

“War is a messy thing not just on the combat side but under national and international law,” said James R. Holmes, chair of maritime strategy at the Naval War College.

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“From a legal standpoint, a blockade is an act of war, so the blockade probably is legal to the extent Operation Epic Fury is,” he said using the name of the U.S. military campaign against Iran.

Since Congress has not declared war against Iran, no formal state of war exists between the United States and the Islamic Republic. But Mr. Holmes noted that “undeclared wars are more the rule than the exception in U.S. history,” with joint resolutions of Congress, United Nations Security Council resolutions and NATO decisions invoked to justify fighting.

“This campaign may be more unilateral than most, but it is not without precedent,” he said.

Under international law, the legality of the blockade is “more ambiguous,” said Jennifer Kavanagh, a senior fellow and director of military analysis at Defense Priorities, a foreign policy think tank in Washington.

A state-organized rally in support of the supreme leader Mojtaba Khamenei in Tehran on Friday.Credit…Arash Khamooshi for The New York Times

For a blockade to be legal, Ms. Kavanagh said, it must be “effective,” meaning that it is both enforceable and enforced. Some would argue that a “‘global blockade’ is not permissible in conception” because it is overly broad, she said.

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Still, expansive blockades have taken place throughout history, including during World War II, when states enforced naval blockades worldwide other than in neutral territorial seas. Over the centuries before that, the British blockaded France throughout the Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, and during the War of American Independence, the colonies and their allies raided British shipping as far away as the Indian Ocean.

Enforcing expansive blockades is difficult, however.

“The seven seas are a big place, and the largest navy or coast guard is tiny by comparison,” Mr. Holmes said. Whether the U.S. blockade ultimately is deemed “effective,” legally speaking, will depend on whether the U.S. has enough assets like ships, aircraft, boarding crews and intelligence gathering to enforce it.

The blockade does not have to be “airtight” to meet the legal test, Mr. Holmes said, and assessing its effectiveness will be tough for outside observers in any case.

Enforcement may also have to be somewhat selective, he suggested.

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“Now, it is possible our leadership might quietly let a ship proceed when it suits the national interest,” Mr. Holmes said. “For instance, with a summit coming up between President Trump and General Secretary Xi” — Mr. Trump is to meet with China’s leader, Xi Jinping, in May — “Washington might not want to ruffle feathers by obstructing China’s oil imports.”

The expanded blockade is part of a longstanding economic campaign against Iran, but it represents something of a tactical change for the Trump administration.

Earlier in the war, the United States temporarily lifted sanctions on Iranian oil at sea to ease the pressure on global energy prices. And before imposing a blockade on Iranian ports last week, the U.S. allowed Iranian tankers to transit the Strait of Hormuz for the same reason.

Now Washington seems to be returning its focus to keeping pressure on Iran.

“The blockade is a wartime extension of existing U.S. economic sanctions against the Iranian regime,” said James Kraska, professor of international maritime law and a visiting professor at Harvard Law School. In peacetime, he said, the sanctions were a “powerful tool to weaken the Iranian economy.” Now, he said, the blockade serves as a “kinetic expansion.”

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General Caine’s announcement about the expanded naval blockade came one day after Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent announced “Operation Economic Fury,” an effort he called the “financial equivalent” of a bombing campaign. It includes secondary sanctions on institutions internationally, like banks, that have dealings with Iran.

The expanded blockade “marks a notable escalation by the United States,” said Ms. Kavanagh.

Still, she said, it is unlikely to significantly change Iranian calculations.

“For Iran, this war is existential and it is not going to cave easily or quickly,” she said. “Economic pressure may work over the very long term, but Trump seems too impatient for a deal to wait it out.”

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