Tommaso Foti is sworn in as minister. Piacentino, Inter fan and ‘Masino’ for friends, who is Giorgia Meloni’s loyalist

The President of the Republic, Sergio Mattarella, received the Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni at the Quirinale. The President of the Republic signed the decree with which they come accepted the resignation submitted by Raffaele Fitto from the position of Minister for European Affairs, the South, Cohesion Policies and the Pnrr. With the same decree, on the proposal of the Prime Minister, it was Tommaso Foti was appointed Minister for European Affairs, the South, Cohesion Policies and the Pnrr.

#Quirinale: the new Minister, the Hon. Thomas #Photostook the oath in the hands of the President #Mattarella pic.twitter.com/S9DP1Q3ShD

— Quirinale (@Quirinale)
December 2, 2024

Foti is considered one of Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s loyalists. “With the victory of the center-right in the 2022 political elections, I am re-elected to the Chamber of Deputies for the sixth time, establishing myself in the single-member constituency of Piacenza and Parma West with 92,699 votes (52.53%). Thanks to the trust placed in me by my fellow Fratelli deputies of Italy and, in particular, by the Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, on 9 November I was unanimously elected president of the parliamentary group of Brothers of Italy It’s a lot of work, but anyone who knows me knows that I don’t stop when faced with challenges, not even impossible ones“: this is how the president of the Fdi deputies presents himself in his biography, who will soon be sworn in at the Quirinale, taking on all of Fitto’s delegations.

“I like to play sports in general, even if I no longer have the athletic physique I once had. My Nerazzurri faith is and remains unshakable. I am loyal and I believe in friendship. I have no particular vices, other than those inherent to all humans”, he writes again. Foti was born in Piacenza (“the city I love”) on 28 April 1960. “In September 1967, at the age of 7, I ‘released’ my first interview with ‘Il Rilavoro’ the monthly magazine of my original parish (SS.Trinità). At that time, almost everyone called me ‘Masino’ – – we read in his biography – (diminutive of Tommaso, my baptismal name) and I remain so even today for my most affectionate friends”.

In July 1978 I graduated from the scientific high school Respighi in Piacenza (“my first training ground for political confrontation – not infrequently, even conflict”). Soon the first steps in the world of work (“representing – as a “son of art” – one of the most important Italian companies in the agri-food sector”). Become part of one of the most important global companies in the beverage sector. In September 1980 Tommaso Foti was elected, at the age of 20, municipal councilor of Piacenza for the Italian social movement. Role he held until 1994 when he took part in the foundation of Alleanza Nazionale. Four times in a row in Parliament: the first, in April 1996. In June 1998 he was appointed vice mayor of Piacenza with responsibility for the Budget, the Finance Department and Taxes.

In the spring of 2009 he joined the center-right unitary party, the People of Freedom, while – in December 2012 – that of the Brothers of Italy, “political formation for which I am a candidate in the political elections of February 2013, not being elected, despite achieving the sixth best result nationally. However, as is my nature, I don’t lose heart: I return to work and in the meantime I keep the small, but always effervescent, community of Brothers of Italy-National Alliance united in the area”.

In the 2018 political elections he was elected deputy in the single-member constituency of Piacenza 14 with 73,599 votes (47.39%) covering the role of deputy group leader of the Brothers of Italy in the Chamber. Among the positions held were that of group leader of the National Alliance in the Environment, Territory and Public Works commission (1996-2001); president of the Bicameral Tax Registry Supervision Commission (from 2001 to 2006); vice-president of the parliamentary commission for the Simplification of Legislation (2006-2008); vice-president of the Environment, Territory and Public Works commission (2006-2008); president of the parliamentary supervisory commission. In this legislature the role of group leader, now that of minister with all the delegations that belonged to Raffaele Fitto.