Must public administration officials observe the Constitution (article 54) with discipline and honor, to guarantee their loyalty to the State… or to Coldiretti, in strategic sectors for its magic circle?
The fluctuation of positions and jobs between the PA and Palazzo Rospigliosi - which is added to the numerous conflicts of interest, often outlawed, repeatedly reported on this site as part of the #VanghePulite investigation - raises some doubts.
Public administration and Coldiretti, revolving doors
Coldiretti features a long tradition of hiring more or less well-known figures who come from the top of the public administration. The lure of basic salaries that for area managers exceed 200 thousand euros / year - net of bonuses, tokens, stakes and awards - seems truly irresistible, as will be seen in some examples below.
Gratitude and the generosity of the chief of chiefs towards executives and public officials is well known to all. (1) To politics, to the MiPAAF and in the various related bodies, even to the supreme judiciary. Some do not resist the entire working life of the Lucullian banquets of Palazzo Rospigliosi, but each of its guests has gained wealth.
Ezio Castiglione. ISMEA - Coldiretti, a / r
Ezio Castiglione - former sole director of Ismea Investimenti per lo Sviluppo Srl (controlled by ISMEA) as well as head of the cabinet of the former ministers for agriculture Gianni Alemanno and Paolo De Castro - was enlisted as head of the Economic-Trade Union Area of Coldiretti. The then president Sergio Marini tried to erect it as a counterbalance to Vincenzo Gesmundo, but the chief of the bosses got the better of it. And Ezio Castiglione, on the proposal of the minister Maurizio Martina, was thus appointed president of ISMEA. (2)
ISMEA (Institute of Services for the Agricultural Food Market) is a public economic body that 'it carries out information, insurance and financial services and provides forms of credit and financial guarantee for agricultural enterprises and their associated forms'. In addition to assisting the Regions in land reorganization activities and promoting generational turnover in agriculture with one 'specific aid scheme approved by the European Commission. ' (3)
Raffaele Borriello. ISMEA - Coldiretti
Raphael Borriello he was in turn the general director of ISMEA, as well as the head of the cabinet of the ex-minister for agriculture Teresa Bellanova. (4) But the current president of Coldiretti Ettore Prandini wanted him alongside him, so Raffaele Borriello joined Palazzo Rospigliosi as head of the legislative area and institutional relations, starting from 15.1.21.
The Commendatore Indeed, it is said that Borriello had been attending the meetings of the magic circle of Palazzo Rospigliosi for years. To the point that the general secretary Vincenzo Gesmundo - in introducing him to a meeting with the area heads on 19.2.19 - would have called him 'Coldiretti's man from always'. Combination, the establishment of IBF Servizi SpA by ISMEA and Bonifiche Ferraresi SpA is due to him (5)
Alessandro Apolito. MiPAAF - Coldiretti
Alessandro Apolito he is another ex-ministerial recently appointed to Palazzo Rospigliosi. He is next to Gianluca Lelli, who in turn returned to the fold after the flop of the Federconsorzi 2 project alias CAI SpA where the adhesions of the Agricultural Consortiums have marked a setback and the management results do not bode well. (6) Alessandro Apolito, who indiscretions refer to having 'important' family members (father former secret services, mother and sister in the Constitutional Court), seems to have made a career thanks to Renzian militancy.
Maurizio Martina - then Minister for Agricultural, Food and Forestry Policies - took Alessandro Apolito to his press office. And shortly before resigning he had him nominated (without competition, ca va sans dire) manager of supply chain policies for three years. (7) In this role it seems that the young man has worked hard to approve the Coldiretti supply chain contracts. And so, as if by magic, at the end of his contract as a public executive he would have received the offer of an almost double salary at Palazzo Rospigliosi.
PNRR, Coldiretti hands down
Combination, Coldiretti entrusted Alessandro Apolito with precisely the issue of supply chain contracts, after having requested and obtained an endowment in the PNRR (National Recovery and Fesilience Plan) of at least one billion and 500 million euros.
The former Renzian ministers Maurizio Martina and Teresa Bellanova would then have guaranteed a line of continuity in the role of public manager already occupied by Apolito, by appointing a faithful workmate, Milena Battaglia. Once again, without competition (8,9).
More billions euros will instead be managed by Raffaele Borriello with the 'lakes project', 'green chemistry' and precision agriculture. For this last purpose, Coldiretti has already purchased the digital platform Demeter by Abaco SpA. Which, together with Leonardo SpA, already manages various contracts in that AGEA (General Agency for Agricultural Disbursements) directed by Gabriele Papa Pagliardini, business partner of Coldiretti's magic circle.
Fabrizio Di Marzio. Cassation - Coldiretti
Fabrizio DiMarzio is the former councilor of the Court of Cassation enlisted at Palazzo Rospigliosi as head of the area 'Trade union action and legislation'. (11) Already as a toga he expressed his polytheism in the lodge Hungary, the collaboration with the premier Giuseppe Conte, participation in the meetings of the area heads and in the so-called Coldiretti control rooms (from the end of 2018, in the company of Giuseppina Ivone). The chief of chiefs has in fact instructed him to verify that 'from a legal, regulatory and entrepreneurial point of view we are doing the right thing'.
'Wanting to simplify further, we need a risk reducer. And this does not only concern the confederation, but also the large, 'small' and 'very small' risks at the territorial level. " (12)
He is adviser of administration of Consorzi Agrari SCpA - founder of CAI SpA - and inspirer of Esiodo Srl, which billed CAI SpA 2 million euros for 2 months of obscure 'corporate and organizational consultancy '. (13) Between thereband of liquidators', a university chair and many other roles, Fabrizio Di Marzio has also conceived the new foundation Divulga Study Center, at Palazzo Rospigliosi.
Felice Adinolfi. University of Bologna et Disclose
Happy Adinolfi – historical collaborator of Paolo De Castro, MEP and former Minister of Agriculture – he teaches agricultural economics at the same University of Bologna. He is reported to be very busy in the presidential secretariat of Coldiretti and in fact sits, among other things, on the board of directors of the Centro Studi Divulga foundation.
His job it should be 'create consensus in the academic world around Coldiretti's theses, in order to scientifically endorse the positions of the union.'The scientific independence of the professor may perhaps be doubted, but this is just one case among many. Certainly not as serious as the affiliations to the Coldiretti galaxy of the members of commissions that evaluate millionaire financing projects to the MiPAAF. (14)
Francesco Giardina. MiPAAF - Coldiretti
Francis Giardina - former councilor and then head of the technical secretariat of the then minister Maurizio Martina - is the coordinator and manager of Anagribios, the evanescent 'national association of organic agriculture'created by Coldiretti. It is therefore not surprising if he is the boss of his ex-subjects at the MiPAAF table on organic, with catastrophic effects among other things. (15)
Rather one wonders how it is possible that a former ministerial official, who coordinated SINAB (national information service on organic farming) for years, was at the same time playing the role of political leader in a private organization - in the narrow executive committee of AIAB (Italian Association for Organic Agriculture) - which operated in the same sector. In one of the countless conflicts of interest that perhaps express a tragic reality.
A tragic reality?
'Censis attributes to Coldiretti a system force function, which translates into ability to “act on the borders of the sovereignties of others, careful to build cooperation, confrontation, exchange ".
And as such we have the right / duty to replace the institutions same when they fail, because that's what people expect of us. Ours is a demonstration of the reputational level achieved. It is proof that we have the majority stake in the virtuous proximity market. Or even better: that we are the "party of proximity" (...)
And remember that our great political and cultural goal is that the conviction that what is good for Coldiretti is good for Italy! ' (Vincenzo Gesmundo, 25.3.21. See note 16).
Revolving doors
The 'revolving doors' there are no limits between public administration, politics and Coldiretti. Suffice it to mention the case of the disputed former director of the Customs and Monopolies Agency Giuseppe Peleggi, (17) who became head of the technological innovation area of the 'yellow flags'. Or those of the famous magistrates of the 'Mani Pulite' pool, such as Gherardo Colombo now president of the UE.Coop (the 'European Union of Cooperatives' of Palazzo Rospigliosi) and Giancarlo Caselli, president of the scientific committee of theAgromafie Observatory of Coldiretti. (18)
An old list of the telephone is not enough to collect the list of financial relationships that - outside of employment relationships, of the directly concerned and / or their family members - link the Coldiretti galaxy to public employees, persons in charge of public services, supervisory bodies (eg . statutory auditors, auditors), etc. At a central, regional and local level, a parallel system of power imposes loyalty to the court of Palazzo Rospigliosi. Whose private interests, concentrated in the hands of a select committee, have nothing to do with the 'good of Italy'. Nor with those of farmers and ranchers, as we have seen. (1)
#VanghePulite, or the reform of the Italian Constitution?
Dario Dongo
Footnotes
(1) Dario Dongo. Germina Campus, the Coldiretti holding company that speculates on farmers. #Clean shovels. GIFTS (Great Italian Food Trade). 13.6.21/XNUMX/XNUMX, https://www.greatitalianfoodtrade.it/idee/germina-campus-la-holding-di-coldiretti-che-specula-sugli-agricoltori-vanghepulite
(2) Maurizio Martina, in the answer 15.1.15 to a specific parliamentary question - belittled the persistence of a link 'between Castiglione and Coldiretti, given that the consulting contracts with two companies attributable, medially and indirectly, to the Association are an effect of the settlement agreement relating to the early termination of the previous employment contract'. V. http://documenti.camera.it/leg17/resoconti/commissioni/bollettini/html/2015/01/15/13/allegato.htm
(3) ISMEA. Who we are. http://www.ismea.it/flex/cm/pages/ServeBLOB.php/L/IT/IDPagina/6
(4) The adhesions between Coldiretti's magic circle and Teresa Bellanova are evident in various behaviors, including:
a) the increase 'by decree' of the costs of insurance in agriculture (see https://www.greatitalianfoodtrade.it/idee/assicurazioni-agevolate-in-agricoltura-l-anomalia-italiana-vanghepulite),
b) AGEA general manager Gabriele Papa Pagliardini's indifference to conflicts of interest (see https://www.greatitalianfoodtrade.it/mercati/coldiretti-federconsorzi-2-e-il-direttore-di-agea-interrogazione-al-senato),
c) support for AGEA's outlaw resolution to expel freelancers from agricultural assistance services (see https://www.greatitalianfoodtrade.it/mercati/tris-del-tar-lazio-sui-caa-riammessi-i-liberi-professionisti)
(5) The Chief Executive Officer of IBF Servizi SpA is Federico Vecchioni, one of the 'leaders' of CAI SpA alias Federconsorzi 2. See also https://www.greatitalianfoodtrade.it/idee/federconsorzi-2-e-cai-real-estate-i-tesori-immobiliari-dei-consorzi-agrari
(6) The Terrepadane, North-East and Umbria Agricultural Consortia, among others, seem to have understood the dark sides of the CAI SpA and CAI Real Estate Srl operation, as we have seen (see https://www.greatitalianfoodtrade.it/idee/federconsorzi-2-agrirevi-aipo-unaprol-affari-d-oro-per-il-cerchio-magico-di-coldiretti). The operating results (margins, dividends and cash flows of core business) of CAI SpA will in all probability be well below expectations. And AgriCorporateFinance Srl, first financial partner of CAI Real Estate Srl, is preparing to present a financial statement in deep red
(7) MiPAAF Decree 14.9.17, appointment as manager of Alessandro Apolito https://www.politicheagricole.it/flex/cm/pages/ServeAttachment.php/L/IT/D/7%252Fc%252Fd%252FD.048e6428541043fbe609/P/BLOB%3AID%3D11669/E/pdf
(8) MiPAAF Decree 28.10.20, appointment as manager of Milena Battaglia
https://www.politicheagricole.it/flex/cm/pages/ServeAttachment.php/L/IT/D/2%252Fc%252Fa%252FD.bf4fb9b9718dc84cb6d5/P/BLOB%3AID%3D16285/E/pdf
(9) Among the various coincidences, Benedetta Renzi sister of the unnameable (quoted by Marco Travaglio) was hired in 2019 in Coldiretti Emilia-Romagna. In the same period, Coldiretti also offered shelter to another iron Renzian, Nicola Centrone, former head of the cabinet of the then minister Luca Lotti touched by the investigation into the wiretapping in the Consip case
(10) Dario Dongo. AGEA - Coldiretti, the European Commission rejects the conflict of interest. GIFT (Great Italian Food Trade). 24.3.21/XNUMX/XNUMX, https://www.greatitalianfoodtrade.it/progresso/agea-coldiretti-la-commissione-europea-boccia-il-conflitto-d-interessi
(11) GiustiziaCivile.com, magazine directed by Giuseppe Conte and Fabrizio Di Marzio. Fabrizio Di Marzio's CV, on https://giustiziacivile.com/curriculum/di-marzio-fabrizio
(12) Vincenzo Gesmundo. Report 25.3.21, extract from point 8 (A tool for doing the 'right' things)
(13) Esiodo Srl, combination, is owned by Germina Campus SpA whose sole shareholder is Coldiretti. V. https://www.greatitalianfoodtrade.it/idee/germina-campus-la-holding-di-coldiretti-che-specula-sugli-agricoltori-vanghepulite
(14) Dario Dongo. Breeding system and biodiversity, public disarray. #Clean shovels. GIFTS (Great Italian Food Trade). 31.3.21/XNUMX/XNUMX, https://www.greatitalianfoodtrade.it/mercati/sistema-allevamento-e-biodiversità-sbando-pubblico-vanghepulite
(15) Dario Dongo. Organic imports, partial reverse to MiPAAF. #Clean shovels. (Great Italian Food Trade). 15.5.21/XNUMX/XNUMX, https://www.greatitalianfoodtrade.it/mercati/importazioni-bio-parziale-retromarcia-al-mipaaf-vanghepulite
(16) Vincenzo Gesmundo. Report 25.3.21, extract from points 1 (A system force) And 12 (Conclusions: shake the hands of our Coldiretti)
(17) DirPubblica, Federation of Public Employment. Letter from the Secretary General to the President of the Council of Ministers Matteo Renzi, 28.4.15. https://www.dirpubblica.it/public/allegati/1770/20150428_a_Renzi_.pdf
(18) Deputy Vice President of the Agromafie Observatory is Andrea Baldanza, Deputy Attorney General at the Lazio Regional Prosecutor. Already in 2014, then councilor of the Court of Auditors, he organized the Summer School for the young people of Coldiretti (v. https://giovanimpresa.coldiretti.it/notizie/eventi/pub/la-summer-school-secondo-andrea-baldanza/)
Dario Dongo, lawyer and journalist, PhD in international food law, founder of WIISE (FARE - GIFT - Food Times) and Égalité.
