Pro-Putin businessman emerges as pick to chair Italy’s biggest energy firm

An energy industry veteran who nurtured close ties with Vladimir Putin and has criticised sanctions against Russia over its invasion of Ukraine has emerged as the frontrunner to chair Italy’s biggest utility company.

Paolo Scaroni is the preferred candidate of the ruling coalition government of Giorgia Meloni to chair Enel, The Guardian reports.

Scaroni was CEO of the company, in which the Italian government is the largest shareholder, from 2002-2005 after being nominated by the former prime minister, Silvio Berlusconi’s, second administration. He went on to become CEO of the energy company Eni, a role he used to orchestrate several big deals with the Kremlin-controlled Gazprom that led to Italy’s reliance on Russian gas.

Meloni, who has positioned herself as a staunch Atlanticist and supporter of Ukraine, is believed to have relented to pressure from her junior coalition partners, Berlusconi – a longtime friend of Putin – and Matteo Salvini, the leader of the League, over Scaroni’s nomination.

“Meloni tried until the very end to fend off those names but eventually she had to cave in,” said a former senior official at Italy’s finance ministry. “She has been scared about the idea of having Scaroni there because he undermines her own political narrative.”

There are fears that Scaroni’s appointment would directly undermine US and European efforts to curb Russian influence and stop Putin’s war in Ukraine, as well as weaken efforts to reduce demand and cap prices on Russian energy exports.

Another controversial nomination is Flavio Cattaneo, the Meloni government’s pick for Enel CEO. In an interview with Il Foglio newspaper in December, Cattaneo criticised Enel’s investments in renewables in the US.

Enel shareholders will cast their votes on board appointments on May 10.