Raffaele Fitto (born 28 August 1969) is an Italian politician and a member of the
European Parliament
The European Parliament (EP) is one of the legislative bodies of the European Union and one of its seven institutions. Together with the Council of the European Union (known as the Council and informally as the Council of Ministers), it adopts ...
. He is serving as the
minister of European affairs in the
Meloni Cabinet
The Meloni government is the 68th government of the Italian Republic, the first led by the president of Brothers of Italy, Giorgia Meloni, who is also the first woman to hold the office of Prime Minister of Italy. The government was announced on ...
since 2022.
Career
Born in
Maglie
Maglie ( Salentino: ; Griko: , translit. ; la, Mallae) is a town and ''comune'' in the province of Lecce in the Apulia region of south-east Italy.
History
The Maglie area was settled as early as the Bronze Age and the early Iron Age, and befor ...
, Fitto was elected in 1999 at
European Parliament
The European Parliament (EP) is one of the legislative bodies of the European Union and one of its seven institutions. Together with the Council of the European Union (known as the Council and informally as the Council of Ministers), it adopts ...
for
Forza Italia
Forza ItaliaThe name is not usually translated into English: ''forza'' is the second-person singular imperative of ''forzare'', in this case translating to "to compel" or "to press", and so means something like "Forward, Italy", "Come on, Ital ...
.
On 17 May 2015, Fitto left
Forza Italia
Forza ItaliaThe name is not usually translated into English: ''forza'' is the second-person singular imperative of ''forzare'', in this case translating to "to compel" or "to press", and so means something like "Forward, Italy", "Come on, Ital ...
and the
European People's Party parliamentary group to join the
European Conservatives and Reformists
The European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR) is a soft Eurosceptic, anti- federalist political group of the European Parliament. The ECR is the parliamentary group of the European Conservatives and Reformists Party (ECR Party) European pol ...
.
In 2022 he was appointed to the
Meloni government
The Meloni government is the 68th government of the Italian Republic, the first led by the president of Brothers of Italy, Giorgia Meloni, who is also the first woman to hold the office of Prime Minister of Italy. The government was announced on ...
. He was replaced in the European Parliament by
Denis Nesci.
Trials
Bribery towards the Italian public health care system
Fitto in 2006 was investigated by the Bari prosecutor in connection with a donation to his regional party ''La Puglia Prima di Tutto'' of 500,000 Euros by Tosinvest, a company owned by
Antonio Angelucci, ahead of the
2005 Apulian regional election. According to the prosecution this amount was suspected of being a bribe to secure for the Apulia region the management of eleven nursing homes.
A request to arrest Fitto, who in the meantime had become a Member of the Italian Parliament, was rejected by the Italian Chamber of Deputies. Fitto in December 2009 was found guilty of abuse of office, corruption and illegal financing of political parties; Fitto was acquitted of some other charges in June 2012.
Fitto in February 2013 was sentenced by the
Court of first instance
A court is any person or institution, often as a government institution, with the authority to adjudicate legal disputes between parties and carry out the administration of justice in civil, criminal, and administrative matters in accordance w ...
(''Tribunale di Primo Grado'', the first grade) to four years in prison and five years' disqualification from public office; the sentence was commuted to 1 year.
Fitto in September 2015 was acquitted of all charges by the
Court of second instance
A court is any person or institution, often as a government institution, with the authority to adjudicate legal disputes between parties and carry out the administration of justice in civil, criminal, and administrative matters in accordance ...
(''Corte d'Appello'', the second grade).
Fitto in June 2017 was acquitted of all charges by the
Supreme Court of Cassation (''Corte di Cassazione'', the final grade).
Bankruptcy of Cedis
Fitto in February 2009 was accused of conspiring, during his presidency of the
Apulia
it, Pugliese
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region (2000–2005),
Italy
Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical re ...
, to short-sell the trading company "Cedis", at that time (2004–2006) in administration. The charges were filed in April 2009; however in March 2017 Fitto was acquitted of all charges by the
Court of second instance
A court is any person or institution, often as a government institution, with the authority to adjudicate legal disputes between parties and carry out the administration of justice in civil, criminal, and administrative matters in accordance ...
(''Corte d'Appello'', the second grade).
References
External links
*
Raffaele Fitto - official website*
Direzione Italia - official website*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Fitto, Raffaele
1969 births
Living people
People from Maglie
Italian People's Party (1994) politicians
United Christian Democrats politicians
Forza Italia politicians
The People of Freedom politicians
Forza Italia (2013) politicians
Conservatives and Reformists (Italy) politicians
Direction Italy politicians
Deputies of Legislature XV of Italy
Deputies of Legislature XVI of Italy
Deputies of Legislature XVII of Italy
Presidents of Apulia
MEPs for Italy 1999–2004
MEPs for Italy 2014–2019
MEPs for Italy 2019–2024
Deputies of Legislature XIX of Italy
Meloni Cabinet
Government ministers of Italy