Confindustria, Emanuele Orsini designated president. Appeal to unity

It’s the day of calls for unity for entrepreneurs Confindustria, of “togetherness”, of ritual congratulations, of convinced smiles and those of manner, after a campaign full of rifts and poisons. The radiant smile, upon exiting the auditorium in Viale dell’Astronomia, is that of the Emilian entrepreneur Emanuele Orsini, designated president of the industrialists for the next mandate, from 2024 to 2028, at the end of a race started by outsiders. At the vote of the general council, today in via dell’Astronomia, he was the only candidate remaining after yesterday’s step back Edoardo Garrone. And one of the curiosities was to understand how many votes he would have obtained: out of 187 eligible voters in Rome, 173 were present, and the preferences were 147. The 17 null ballots and the nine blank ones send the only clear messages of opposition or scepticism, but today decidedly minorities.

The winner

Emanuele Orsini at Confindustria, from Sassuolo to Viale dell’Astronomia: the rise of the Emilian-Roman who loves Labradors and nuclear power

by Marco Bettazzi

04 April 2024

The search for unity

“I will try to convince those who didn’t vote for me,” said Orsini after the announcement of the results and the applause of the audience. And on the way out, to journalists, he spoke conciliatory words towards both defeated candidates. Especially for Erg president Edoardo Garrone, who with his retirement paved the way for a very large victory: “His act was an act of great responsibility.” But also for the president of Duferco and Federacciai Antonio Gozzi, that after being excluded from the final vote by the association’s wise men, I had directed part of the consensus gathered towards him: “I respect him a lot, he will be one of the people with whom we will dialogue.” The all-Ligurian challenge between Garrone and Gozzi, the former supported by large industrialists from the North such as Emma Marcegaglia, from Lombardy and Piedmont, the latter by the former president Antonio D’amato and important sector associations, ended up splitting the world of manufacturing and favor Orsini. However, he now knows that, to guarantee balance and governability in the next four years, he will have to give space in the presidential team – which he will announce on 18 April – also to associations and territories that supported his adversaries.

The priorities: competitiveness and energy

“Before putting names we have to start from the chapters, and at that point we will be able to put the best names”, replied Orsini to those who asked if Gozzi will be in the team. Reiterating that his presidency will aim for “dialogue, identity and unity” , and adding that the priority themes will be “competitiveness, energy and legal certainty”. After today’s nomination, the final election by the industrialists’ assembly will be on May 23rd.

Who is Emanuele Orsini

Outgoing vice president with responsibility for credit, managing director of Construction Systema small wooden construction company, and Tino Prosciutti, the 50-year-old Orsini has managed to gather widespread consensus, being able to count from the beginning on the support of his Emilia, Tuscany and Lazio, on the weighty endorsement of CEO of Intesa Sanpaolo Carlo Messina and on the sympathies of the government. After Salvini, who had already done so yesterday, today the Minister of Made in Italy Adolfo Urso was one of the first to congratulate him. “Enough with the division between small and large companies”, he said, even if his victory confirms that in the Confindustria of the third millennium the belly of small and medium-sized enterprises counts for more and more and displeases those who believed that the relaunch of the association should pass from the election of a powerful entrepreneur.

The losers

Among the losers there is certainly the group of “great voters” who had urged the entry into the field – also in an anti-Gozzi function – of Edoardo Garrone, such as Emma Marcegaglia, Diana Bracco and Marco Tronchetti Provera, trying to push him with their weight industrial of Assolombarda and Piedmont. “Today is a beautiful day, Confindustria has found compactness and unity again,” said the steel entrepreneur and former president as she left the vote. But in this climate of harmony – it will be understood in the coming weeks how substantial – there are those like the former president Luigi Abete, supporter of Orsini from the first hour, who has not stopped teasing: “It has been understood that past presidents can do past presidents.”

Congratulations messages

Congratulatory messages arrived from entrepreneurs, politicians and the government, within which the candidate Orsini enjoyed widespread support. Salvini and Urso tweeted, Tajani called, la President of the Meloni Council written on social media: «Congratulations and good work, we will not lack availability and dialogue». While a request for a meeting has already arrived from the CGIL secretary Landini, to talk about contract renewals, job insecurity and salaries.