The document discusses Italy appointing a new Permanent Representative to the European Union. Carlo Calenda, the Deputy Minister of Economic Development, was chosen to replace Stefano Sannino in the role. This caused controversy as Calenda is not a career diplomat. Over 250 young diplomats protested the political appointment instead of selecting from the diplomatic corps. However, the document argues that while diplomatic experience is valuable, no law requires the role be filled by a diplomat, and other countries also occasionally appoint politicians or other officials. The choice raises issues around maintaining diplomatic standards but political appointments may still be appropriate in some cases.

1. PERMANENT
REPRESENTATION TO THE
EU: A DIPLOMATIC INCIDENT?
February 2016

2. According to the Vienna Convention (1975) a Permanent
Representation is the diplomatic mission of any State to an
international organisation, for example the UN or the European
Union.
When a State establishes a Permanent Representation it intends to
maintainstablerelationswithanorganisationconsideredstrategically
important for its own interests.
Italy has permanent representations to the European Union, the
Council of Europe, the UN, the OECD, NATO, UESCO, FAI and IFAD.
WHAT IS A PERMANENT REPRESENTATION?

3. PERMANENT REPRESENTATION OF ITALY TO THE EU
The Permanent Representation of Italy to the European Union –
also known as PermRep – is located in Brussels.
Its main activities are to:
promote and defend Italy’s views to the EU, especially during the
preparatory work before a Council of Ministers;
maintainrelationswithEuropeaninstitutions,especiallyParliament
and the Commission.
In short, Permanent Representation is the real, stable contact point
between Italy and the European Union!

4. The delegation working at Italy’s Representation to the EU is made up
of employees of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International
Cooperation and officials from other Administrations, according to
the specific expertise required.
Members of the Representation are divided according to their
functions. Each group works on the dossiers regarding one of the
16 different policy areas of the European Union: the internal market,
agriculture, transportation, industry etc.
The Representation is headed by the Permanent Representative of
Italy to the European Union.
PERMANENT REPRESENTATION TO THE EU:
STRUCTURE AND FUNCTIONS

5. JANUARY 2016: CHANGING OF THE GUARD!
Since January 2016 there’s
a new man in charge of Ita-
lian diplomacy in Brussels:
the Council of Ministers has
approved the nomination of
the new Permanent Repre-
sentative to the European
Union.
The choice fell on Carlo Calenda, De-
puty Minister of Economic Develop-
ment. He will replace Stefano San-
nino, named Head of the Diplomatic
Mission in Madrid.
This is an early departure for Sannino:
he had been nominated by the Letta
Government and his mandate was to
run for another twelve months.

6. Carlo Calenda graduated in Jurisprudence and specialised in
International Law; nominated by Enrico Letta as Deputy Minister of
Economic Development in 2013 he was confirmed by Matteo Renzi.
BeforeenteringGovernmentCalendaworkedasabusinessmanager
at Ferrari and Sky. The CV of the new Permanent Representative
includes a stint in Confindustria (General Confederation of Italian
Industry).
As Deputy Minister of Economic Development he was responsible
for foreign trade and attracting investments and, in particular, the
China dossier.
CARLO CALENDA: LET’S GET TO KNOW HIM BETTER

7. FROM SANNINO TO CALENDA: WHY?
To understand the reasons behind this changing of the guard one
must look further afield at current relations between Italy and the
EU institutions, especially the European Commission.
In the last few months, Matteo Renzi has adopted a much tougher
standpoint vis-à-vis the EU, at least during his official statements, by
asking for greater flexibility:
“I will continue to defend Italy’s interests.
I don’t think credibility in Europe means always
saying yes to other people’s demands”.
According to rumours coming out of Palazzo Chigi, the long-standing
diplomat Stefano Sannino was considered too soft towards the EU.
Calenda–afaithfulRenziaficionado–willsupposedlyensuregreater
coherence with the Government’s new approach in the corridors
in Brussels.

8. A HISTORIC TURNING POINT?
The Sannino-Calenda turnover could appear to be an issue for
insiders only – and in fact it is to a degree! – but it may turn out to
be much more important than a normal high-level turnover.
Why? Because as the Head of a diplomatic mission the post
of Permanent Representative has always been assigned to an
Ambassador, the highest rank in a diplomatic career: Ambassador
Sannino was no exception.
As a politician rather than a member of the diplomatic corps,
Calenda’s nomination as Head of a diplomatic mission is a
Copernican revolution for Italy! The Government spoke of an
“exceptional measure, taken in special circumstances”.
But that did more than make career diplomats perk up their ears.

9. DIPLOMATS IN REVOLT
The “Calenda Affair” broke after the nomination was announced: over
250 young diplomats and veteran Ambassadors wrote two separate
letters to the Government, expressing their disappointment and
concern. In the letter to Renzi they wrote:
“Ambassadors aren’t made overnight. To become an
ambassador you not only have to take part in a public competition,
the career requires professionalism, responsibility and
continuous assessments […] We require an immediate statement
confirming the exceptional nature of this choice and reassurance
that no more political nominations will be made in the future”.
The letter to the Secretary General of the Ministry of Foreign
Affairs was even more forceful: the authors of the letter asked the
Ministry to “take all the appropriate and necessary steps towards
reconsideration of this decision”.
To be blunt: a real diplomatic incident!

10. ITALY FOR SALE, 2 ROOMS + FACILITIES?
On a more serious note, it appears that
Italian diplomatic circles are concerned
that similar choices put into practice
an approach announced by previous
governments, but never actually imple-
mented: to turn diplomats into sim-
ple “commercial agents”.
Representatives without any skills
and increasingly bereft of the task of
making independent decisions, to the
detriment of the overall quality of
Italy’s Representation.
As you may have gathered,
the Italian diplomatic corps
was not overjoyed to learn
that Carlo Calenda was to
head the Italian delegation in
Brussels.
Why? Undoubtedly, a touch
of snobbery by the Italian di-
plomats, aware they belong
to an élite: “you don’t want to
vulgarise our profession by
letting in a hack, do you?”.

11. Being a diplomat is not the easiest job
in the world: you need to understand
exactly what is your mandate, be
familiar with the country where you
take office, as well as its politics and
history, and know what interests are
at stake.
This is why in the past a diplomatic
career was open only to those who
took part in one of the most difficult
public competitions in Italy.
THE JOB DOESN’T SUIT EVERYONE…
“Ambassadors are not
made overnight”.
The young diplomats
are dead right. However
the question remains: is
winning the competition
the only way you can
become an Ambassador
andembarkonadiplomatic
career?

12. …BUT EVERYONE CAN DO THE JOB!
Although a diplomatic career can be embarked upon only after
winning the competition, and the latter is the most appropriate
and widely-used method to nominate an Ambassador... it is not the
only one.
Immediately after the Second World War – the only other instance
when non-diplomats were nominated – several members of the
Committee for National Liberation were named Ambassadors: for
example, Carandini (London), Tarchiani (Washington) and Penoaltea
(Peking). Yes, those were indeed exceptional circumstances!
Nevertheless, under Italian law no “exceptional circumstance” is
needed to nominate a politician as Head of Mission: regarding Italy’s
representation abroad, the Presidential Decree on Organisation n.
18/1986 does not require the government to name diplomats as
Ambassadors. Some people appear to have forgotten this.

13. Politicians, high level officials, entre-
preneurs and private citizens: theore-
tically, anyone can be nominated an
Ambassador! Of course you need the
right skills and professional expertise,
and that’s why nearly all Italian ambas-
sadors are diplomats.
However, elsewhere in the world Heads
of Mission are often not diplomats: the
United States is a case in point.
TU VUÒ FA’ L’AMERICANO?
(YOU WANT TO BE AN AMERICAN?)
Former Presidents, entre-
preneurs, high-level of-
ficials. American ambas-
sadors around the world
come from very different
backgrounds and are no-
minated by the President
based on something very
similar to a spoils system:
direct nomination and trust
in the individual and his ex-
pertise.

14. LA DIPLOMATIE À LA GUERRE!
The outcry by the Italian diplomats
created quite a stir: was it a unionised
defence by a group afraid of loosing
its privileges, or a warning to protect
the quality required for such a delicate
role? It’s certainly not often you see
“diplomats on the warpath”!
In short: to be an Ambas-
sador a person needs to
be experienced and have
exceptional qualities.
Whoever represents a coun-
try has to be capable of ful-
filling his/her task: in this re-
spect, a diplomatic career
is a guarantee.
Nevertheless, there are of
course people whose lives,
relationships or role in
society could make them
ideal candidates capable
of fulfilling their diplomatic
mandate.

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