Luongo is the new Commander General of the Carabinieri, Crosetto's candidate passes: here's who he is

A choice in the name of continuity Army General Salvatore Luongo is the new Commander General of the Carabinieri Corps. This was decided by the government at the meeting of the Council of Ministers. A solution that matured a few hours before 14 November, the day on which the mandate of the outgoing commander Teo Luzi, whose deputy Luongo has been since May, expires. The turnover ceremony will take place on Friday 15 November, at the 'Salvo D'Acquisto' barracks in Tor di Quinto.

According to the Code of Military Order (Article 32), the Commander General of the Carabinieri, as well as the main military summits, is appointed by decree of the President of the Republic, after deliberation by the Council of Ministers, on the proposal of the Minister of Defence, after hearing the Chief of Defence Staff. Supported by Defence Minister Guido Crosetto, Luongo thus got the better of the other candidates: Mario Cinque, Chief of Staff of the Carabinieri Corps General Command from 2021, 'sponsored' by the Undersecretary to the Presidency, with delegated responsibility for Services Alfredo Mantovano, and Riccardo Galletta, Commander of the Pastrengo interregional, supported by the other undersecretary at Palazzo Chigi, Giovanbattista Fazzolari. The final, decisive word came from Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. The new commander held the post of legislative chief with Ministers Pinotti (PD), Trenta (M5s), Guerini (PD) and Crosetto himself. And it is precisely this aspect, and in particular the proximity to the PD, that has caused some perplexity in Mantovano.

"I did not comment on the journalistic reconstructions of recent days on the 'backstage' concerning the appointment of the commander general of the Carabinieri,' Crosetto wrote on X, after the choice made by the executive. Now, however, after reading some writing that there would be winners and losers in this choice, I feel the duty to do so. Both for the sake of truth and out of respect for the institutions. The appointment of General Luongo passed the Council of Ministers unanimously, without a single debate and in less than a minute. The choice had been made (with great difficulty given the value of the possible candidates) in the preceding weeks, in total agreement and in absolute serenity. Because the government was absolutely aware of how necessary it was to preserve the leadership of an institution like the Arma, from any possibility of instrumentalisation'.

'Congratulations and best wishes for a good job to the new Commander General of the Carabinieri, General Salvatore Luongo,' Meloni said in a note. 'His experience and expertise will allow him to lead our Carabinieri, the national pride and admired and appreciated Armed Force at home and abroad, to the best of his ability. I would like to thank General Teo Luzi for the professionalism and dedication with which he has served the Force, the State and the citizens'.

Born in Naples in 1962, Luongo embarked on his military career in 1977, attending courses at the 'Nunziatella' Military School in Campania's capital city, the Military Academy of Modena and the Carabinieri Application School in Rome. A graduate in Law, Political Science and Internal and External Security Sciences, he holds Master's degrees in International Strategic-Military Studies, Strategic Sciences and a Higher Diploma in Humanities from the Gregorian University in Rome. He attended the 2nd 1SSM1 Course at the Centre for Advanced Defence Studies. He has collaborated with the University of Rome IV with teaching assignments, dealing with the criminal aspects of forensic medicine and, in particular, the fight against doping. He was tutor and lecturer for the Master's Degree Course 'Open innovation and entrepreunership' at the Campus Biomedico University in Rome.