Marcegaglia: 'Confindustria has rediscovered compactness and unity'

Unity and compactness are the most frequent words in the business world's comments following the appointment of Emanuele Orsini as the head of Confindustria. "I am happy because Confindustria has rediscovered compactness and unity and this is the most important thing after a heavy, very media-driven, complicated campaign," said the past president of Viale dell'Astronomia, Emma Marcegaglia, at the end of the association's general council meeting that appointed the Emilian entrepreneur to the helm of Confindustria with 147 votes out of 173 present. "The fact that we have all recomposed ourselves with conviction on Emanuele Orsini is good, and I think it should be emphasised that Edoardo Garrone has made an important act because he has made it possible for us to come together". Marcegaglia went on to highlight the many twists and turns that await the new president's work. "The challenges are enormous, geopolitics, the economy, inflation, Europe to be rethought. Confindustria can confidently play an important role only if it is united and united'. I believe, added the entrepreneur, 'that it is a good day, as President Bonomi rightly said: today is a good day. I think it was what was needed after months that were a bit complex'.

The past president of Confindustria, Luigi Abete, spoke of an 'excellent climate'. "The two people who had reached the highest level of consensus both had experience and planning enthusiasm to be an excellent president of Confindustria for the next four-year period. Edoardo Garrone's decision to share the consensus on Orsini by withdrawing his candidacy was a gesture of high associative sensitivity and great strategic perspective, and I must point out that the vote represented this choice positively,' the entrepreneur added. "I think that today we have had a wonderful day, as President Bonomi said, because we have identified the new president-designate for the next four years". Orsini, he added, 'will now have the responsibility and freedom to make his own team freely because all those who wanted to elect him did so without having any kind of conditioning. We are confident that together with the team he will put together an articulate and functional programme and then we will give him a hand over the next four years'.

Satisfaction at the association's ability to unite around Orsini's name was also expressed by Marco Gay, past president of Confindustria youth and president of Confindustria Piemonte and Anitec-Assinform. "Today is an important day, we have all together nominated the presidential candidate Emanuele Orsini. Together we have voted for Confindustria, which is restarting and will restart for the construction of what will be the next four years'.

Among the first comments on the industrialists' side, following Orsini's appointment, was that of the president of Confindustria Emilia, Valter Caiumi. "We are truly satisfied that the Confindustria system has had this convergence on the figure of Emilia entrepreneur Emanuele Orsini. It is an important proof of the unity of the Confindustria world in this complex and fundamental moment for the Italian economy. Since last September, I had pointed out that we would be delighted to have an Emilian as president, in fact the first entrepreneur from our region at the head of Confindustria. We are certain that having a representative from Emilia at the top of the Association will give us the opportunity to bring the best practices of our model to the service of the country'. According to Caiumi, 'Emanuele is an entrepreneur who is an expression of a medium-sized enterprise that well represents our territory and production fabric and to whom I recognise a great willingness and determination to bring his contribution to the service of all. I wish him the best of luck and good work'.

Also satisfied with the outcome of the vote was the president of Confindustria Alto Adriatico, Michelangelo Agrusti. "It is not just a change of president, but a change of phase. In the new president's intentions there is certainly an awareness that an important change is needed in both the mission and the organisation of Confindustria'. Agrusti then went on to highlight 'the substantial unity of the north-east, from Emilia-Romagna to Alto Adige, that has been achieved in the ballot box'. It is, he added, 'an absolute novelty, which has never happened before. Never before had the northeast expressed a president of Confindustria. A northeast that has also been able to create cohesion with a large part of the south and other areas in the north of the country to arrive at this nomination'. 'Of course, the new president will have to work for the unity of Confindustria, which is a precious asset for anyone,' Agrusti concluded, 'the important thing is to always establish that unity is for something, it is not simply an indistinct putting together; it must be unity for change. And I believe that Orsini, today, embodies this idea well. I wouldn't mind if the payoff we imagined for Alto Adriatico, Industry before Confindustria, could become a national suggestion'.