Raffaele Fitto, a member of Italy's hard-right ruling party, was named to a top post in the next European Commission today, in a controversial move that has riled centrist and leftist groups.
EU chief Ursula von der Leyen put Fitto forward as one of six executive vice presidents who will serve as her key lieutenants in the European Union's executive body.
The 55-year-old will be in charge of "cohesion and reforms" she said, adding the choice reflected Italy's importance within the 27-country bloc.
"He will be responsible for the portfolio dealing with cohesion policy, regional development and cities," von der Leyen told a press conference in Strasbourg.
Seen as a nod to gains made by far-right parties in the June European elections, the appointment was hailed by Rome as proof of its influence within the EU.
"(It's) an important recognition that confirms the newfound central role of our nation in the EU. Italy is finally back as a protagonist in Europe," Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni wrote on X.
Currently Italy's European affairs minister, Fitto knows Brussels well and is widely considered one of the more moderate faces of Meloni's government.
But as a member of her post-fascist Brothers of Italy party -- which once called for Rome to leave the eurozone -- his selection for such a powerful post has ruffled feathers among EU lawmakers.
David Cormand of the Greens said it represented the "normalisation of the extreme right in European institutions".
And Iratxe Garcia Perez, the head of the Socialists and Democrats group, said Fitto will have to prove his commitment to European values during what is likely to be a stormy confirmation hearing before parliament.
The French centrist Valerie Hayer had called the prospect of Fitto's appointment "untenable" -- though she struck a more pragmatic tone on Tuesday, vowing to be "extremely vigilant" on his commitment to European values.
Von der Leyen was re-elected for a second term with votes from the centre and the left, as well as her centre-right European People's Party, the largest group in the EU parliament.
But she was snubbed by Meloni's hard-right European Conservatives and Reformists group.
"Italy is a very important country and one of our founding members, and this has to reflect in the choice," von der Leyen said of Fitto's nomination.
Fitto was elected three times to the European Parliament before joining Meloni's administration in 2022, charged with managing Italy's share of the EU's vast post-Covid recovery plan.
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