The new president of Confindustria

Orsini: 'Keep the tax wedge cut. This is not the time to talk about Jobs act'.

Nominated last 4 April by the general council, Orsini was elected today, by the private assembly in Via dell'Astronomia, leader of the industrialists for the four-year period 2024-2028, with 99.5% of the valid votes. For the president of Confindustria it is necessary to 'sit down at a table for a shared way forward on the Superbonus'.

by Redaction Rome

23 May 2024

L’industriale emiliano Emanuele Orsini, imprenditore dell’edilizia in legno e dell’alimentare, è il nuovo presidente di Confindustria. Designato lo scorso 4 aprile dal consiglio generale, giovedì 23 maggio 2024 è stato eletto, dall’assemblea di via dell’Astronomia, leader degli industriali per il quadriennio 2024-2028.

5' min read

Key points

Orsini elected with 99.5% of valid votes
"Confrontation with all, Confindustria is there"
Orsini: dialogue, identity and unity the keywords
"We hope the next EU Commission will put growth at the centre"
"To the government proposals at no cost or to invest in"
"Talking about Jobs act at this time seems crazy to me"
Talking about reducing the tax wedge is an act of responsibility
"Support nuclear power not only in election campaigns"
"Sitting at the table for a shared way forward on Superbonus"
"I hope he keeps his promise of 1 million cars produced in Italy"
"Ok to Messina Bridge, work on infrastructure to get there"

5' min read

Emilian industrialist Emanuele Orsini, an entrepreneur in the wood construction and food industries, is the new president of Confindustria as of today. Designated last 4 April by the general council, he was elected today, by the private assembly in Via dell'Astronomia, leader of the industrialists for the four-year period 2024-2028: he leads the system of industrialists' representation, with over 150 thousand member companies with more than 5 million employees, and a contribution of 34% to the GDP.

Orsini elected with 99.5% of the valid votes

Orsini is the 32nd president of Confindustria. He was elected by the assembly with 99.5% of valid votes. Today's vote thus recomposes Via dell'Astronomia after a difficult campaign climate. Such a high percentage of favourable votes in relation to valid votes (the ratio used as a term of comparison with previous elections) had been achieved in the past by Emma Marcegaglia and Luca Cordero di Montezemolo: in those cases the election deadline had been reached with a single candidate and not, as in the case of Orsini's election, after a heated competition between several candidates.

"Confindustria is there"

What can Emanuele Orsini's presidency of Confindustria bring? 'I hope unity and dialogue,' emphasises the newly elected leader of industrialists Emanuele Orsini. "Let's sit down with everyone, we are there." Orsini puts firm points with government and unions: 'No to retroactive regulations', 'talking about jobs act is madness'. But the message he launches after his election is: with the government, with the unions, with all the interlocutors we need 'a system that must not be confrontational but must have a country vision. What everyone must have in mind is an idea of growth. Once this is done, we all win".

"Dialogue, identity and unity the key words"

The three key words, pillars of Confindustria 2024-2028 management, are 'dialogue, identity and unity'. "Dialogue," explains Orsini, "because we need Confindustria to be ever closer" to the territorial organisations and associations. "Then there is identity, a huge challenge: being able to make even the last associate who has joined the smallest territorial association feel part of the project. This means making Confindustria bigger'. Finally, 'unity, which is a necessity after a heated election campaign'. 'I am very happy that today's vote, with 99.5% of consensus, has shown that our system has managed to pull itself together. This is fundamental,' adds Orsini.

"We hope the next EU Commission will focus on growth"

At the press conference, the new president explained that 'we need clear ideas for European industrial policy, a non-anti-industrial culture'. This is why 'we hope that the next European Commission will put industry, competitiveness and growth at the centre'. He adds: 'The chapters that worry us at European level are packaging and the 2035 stop for diesel petrol cars; we do not agree, we must safeguard our countries' know-how'.

"To the government proposals at zero cost or to invest in"

"We will try to make proposals to the government at zero cost, or proposals that are considered an investment," is the hope. It is also necessary 'to recover a fair relationship'. Today, for example, 'we know that the budget law will be complicated', that the margins for action are narrow, 'but we can build virtuous paths that can boost the economy'. Among the 'zero-cost proposals that Confindustria will make to the government, and among the new ideas that the leader of the industrialists Emanuele Orsini launches on the day of his election, is that of 'a housing plan, real, for our employees, at a sustainable cost'. 'We need rents at a sustainable cost otherwise those who have to move from one city to another cannot come to work'. It would be 'an almost zero-cost measure that sets a lot of the economy in motion'. The government can support the project by providing 'an underlying guarantee'.

"Talking about Jobs act right now seems crazy to me"

'Talking about jobs' today in Italy, for example, 'seems crazy to me', stressed the president of Confindustria: it is a topic that seems to have 'a political key', but 'it is not a requirement of the moment'. The issue is linked to the referendum launched by the CGIL. But a dialogue needs to be relaunched with the trade unions, says Orsini in his programme lines. 'I think it is short-sighted not to have dialogue, dialogue is needed and must be constructive. I, and I believe I am recognised, try to unite', but to do so 'it is necessary that the unions are also united'. And in the dialogue, also on the front of contracts and salaries, 'at the centre must also be the part of welfare, which is increasingly central'. As for employee participation in the life of companies, 'I do not agree with the CISL proposal'.

Talking about reducing the tax wedge is an act of responsibility

Speaking instead today 'of reducing the tax wedge, I believe it is an act of responsibility,' Orsini said at the press conference in Viale dell'Astronomia. 'Keeping it in our companies,' he adds, 'is among the choices we will support. It is one of the measures that will help hire young people in our companies'.

"Support nuclear power not only in the election campaign"

It is then necessary to 'support nuclear power, not only in the election campaign, that it is clean technology of course. With a safeguard and a national grid, because it is a strategic interest. To say working on nuclear power means being ready in 2031/2032'.

"Sit down at the table for a shared way forward on the Superbonus"

The 110% Superbonus 'I agree that it should be closed, but we cannot think from today to tomorrow, at least let the companies finish the work,' warns Orsini. 'But,' he explains, 'if we don't let the companies discount the credit, it's not over. Because the problem comes back, so even on these issues we want to and must sit down at a table to build a way forward together. But not in a conflictual way'.

"I hope he keeps his promise of 1 mln cars produced in Italy"

Chapter cars. 'I hope that Stellantis will keep its promise of one million cars produced in Italy,' said the President of Confindustria. 'It is necessary,' Orsini concluded, 'to safeguard a supply chain that is so important for our country. For the government to finance cars that come from outside the European Union, I think it is not correct'. On the subject of Italian sounding, Orsini commented, 'the rule applies to everyone; it has been activated several times in the food industry as well.

"Ok to Messina Bridge, work on infrastructure to get there"

'Any kind of infrastructure I think is positive, the important thing is to get there. I agree with the bridge, but the important thing is to get to the bridge,' the president of Confindustria continued. 'Let's work on what can be done', such as 'increasing the speed of transport. Southern Italy needs to strengthen its infrastructure. If we are to support the South as it grows, we must also support the costs of those who invest,' Orsini points out.

Garrone, renewed unity with broad consensus in Orsini

"The broad consensus with which the Confindustria assembly today elected Emanuele Orsini as president testifies to a climate of renewed unity of intent in Confindustria that I can only be delighted about. Emanuele and his team will have to face important challenges, starting with the difficult national and international economic situation and the contract renewal season. I wish him and his team all the best in their work. We look forward to seeing him on Sunday in Trento for the interview with Sole 24 ore editor Fabio Tamburini at the end of the Festival dell'Economia''. Thus Edoardo Garrone, president of the 24 Ore Group, from Trento on the occasion of the opening of the Economics Festival.