Maneuvers and jibes on defense appointments
All defense appointments: names, replacements and maneuvers.
The season of renewal of the positions of the defense leaders has begun.
The Council of Ministers took care of it and, on the proposal of the Minister of Defense Lorenzo Guerini, appointed General Luciano Portolano as the new general secretary of defense and national director of armaments (DNA).
This is a key role as he is the number two of the Chief of Defense Staff.
But even the latter must be renewed shortly: the mandate of the current Chief of Smd expires in November.
The current summit of Smd is held by the air squad general Enzo Vecciarelli, so his successor cannot be from the Air Force.
At each round of appointments of military leaders, the three Armed Forces (Air Force, Navy and Army) alternate. Since the position of Chief of Smd has so far been held by the Air Force and the Army has just had the appointment of Segredifesa with Portolano, now it's up to the Navy.
But the current Chief of Staff of the Navy, Admiral Giuseppe Cavo Dragone, is over 63 years old and could not be named.
However, just last night the Official Gazette published the decree law dismissed by the CDM in the field of justice and defense with a specific amendment to the rule on the appointment of Chiefs of Staff in auxiliary.
The Draghi government has thus taken steps to favor Admiral Cavo Dragone.
“If Cavo Dragone lands in Smd, the executive will also have to nominate the new number one of the sailors”, remembers Marco Lodovico in Il Sole 24 Ore .
Without forgetting that the role of Chief of Staff of the Air Force, currently held by the air squad general Alberto Rosso is also expiring.
All the details on the risk of the appointments of the leaders of the Armed Forces.
THE APPOINTMENT OF GENERAL LUCIANO PORTOLANO AS SEGREDIFESA
General Luciano Portolano will take the place of his colleague Nicolò Falsaperna, who has completed the three-year period. Portolano, currently at the top of COVI (Operational Command of Summit Joint Forces), will become the new Secretary General and DNA.
“An office, the latter, of a high strategic level, in direct line with the Minister and the Chief of Staff of Defense: it coordinates and manages the political guidelines on military armaments programs. He is in close contact with the management of the defense industry, Leonardo and Fincantieri in the lead ”underlined Lodovico in Il Sole 24 Ore .
This is “one of the most strategic positions for our defense, also because the national arms management has a close collaboration with NATO and in particular with the United States” remarked Alessandro Da Rold in La Verità .
WHO WILL REPLACE HIM AT THE COVI SUMMIT
With the appointment of General Portolano, the Covi summit is also freed.
Portolano "will probably be replaced by the general of Ami Candotti, current commander of the Air Squad, who – in turn – will pass the current position to his colleague Frigerio" writes Sassate .
THE NEW HEAD OF MAJOR STATE OF THE DEFENSE
But the pivotal role to be covered will be that of the Chief of Defense Staff.
“Under him are the leaders of the Armed Forces: Army, Navy, Air Force and Arma dei Carabinieri. The head of Smd is in direct line with the Minister of Defense Lorenzo Guerini. Both, in their respective roles, do not fail to interact with the President of the Republic, supreme head of the Armed Forces, who has his own military adviser plus the Supreme Defense Council ”recalls Lodovico in the Confindustria newspaper.
At the moment the job is of the air squad general Enzo Vecciarelli, so his successor cannot be from the Air Force.
THE ALTERNATION OF THE ARMED FORCES
As we said at the beginning, at each nomination round there is a tendency to respect the rotation criterion between the three Armed Forces for the appointment of the Chief of Defense Staff.
"The Minister of Defense, Lorenzo Guerini, intends to respect the alternation of the armed forces at the top of Smd", reports Il Sole 24 Ore.
Since General Luciano Portolano has just been appointed the new Secretary General of Defense, the Army cannot also aspire to the top of Smd.
THE "NECESSARY" MODIFICATION
According to the practice of alternation, the appointment as Chief of Defense Staff now rests with the Navy. But Minister Guerini and the government encountered a "regulatory" obstacle in the indication of Admiral Giuseppe Cavo Dragone. The current Chief of Staff of the Navy is over 64 years old: he has therefore exceeded 63 years, the limit of the so-called "effective permanent service".
The Code of the Military Order (Com) sets the duration of the defense leaders and the requirements. According to the Com, article 1094 paragraph 4, “the military leaders, if reached by the age limits, are recalled by authority until the end of their mandate”. Therefore once retired there is no "possibility of extension or renewal".
Hence the need for a change in the law by the government. And the change was introduced in the law decree on justice and defense dismissed by the Council of Ministers on 29 September.
WHAT THE NEW PROVISION INCLUDES
“The new provision introduced provides for the elimination of the single requirement" in permanent service "for the appointment of the head of Smd, and only for him: it is also possible to choose generals or admirals" recalled ". The leaders of the Armed Forces, moreover, are "recalled by authority" if they exceed 63 years during the three-year assignment conferred. Consequently, the legislative change is liberating for the choice of the government: it thus allows it to respect the practice of alternating and choosing the head of Smd from among those of the Armed Forces ”, explained Lodovico in Il Sole 24 Ore .
THE COMING APPOINTMENT PACKAGE
Therefore, all that remains is to wait for the next few days, when the Council of Ministers, on the proposal of the holder of the Defense Lorenzo Guerini (Pd), will announce the appointments for the military leaders about to expire.
The Executive is therefore responsible for appointing the new Defense Chief of Staff, the Chief of Staff of the Air Force and the Covi. But if the current Chief of Staff of the Navy becomes the new chief of Smd, then the replacement of Admiral Cavo Dragone will also have to be designated.
This is a machine translation from Italian language of a post published on Start Magazine at the URL https://www.startmag.it/mondo/manovre-e-strambate-sulle-nomine-della-difesa/ on Fri, 01 Oct 2021 13:26:35 +0000.