News
Elisabetta Belloni is Von der Leyen’s new diplomatic adviser
By Paolo Bozzacchi
This time, the rumors are true. And we at The Watcher Post had already written about it here last January 15, on the day she resigned in the midst of the Cecilia Sala case. Elisabetta Belloni, who left the helm of the Dis just two weeks ago, was appointed “Special” diplomatic Advisor to the President of the European Commission, Ursula Von der Leyen. The Watcher Post was able to view the community document from IDEA, the Commission’s Advisory Service that “provides innovative ideas and a space for interdisciplinary research and collaboration on key priorities,” confirming the appointment. Belloni will hold the prestigious position of Chief Diplomatic Officer, that is, Diplomatic Advisor reporting directly to President Von der Leyen. IDEA will select the team that will support Belloni in her two-year contract term (renewable) and will work closely with the Secretary General.
Belloni’s career
Roman, born in 1958, Elisabetta Belloni is a career-long diplomat who, after a series of assignments at Italian embassies abroad, has held senior positions at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. She also led the Crisis Unit, served as director general for development cooperation and then director general for resources and innovation. In 2014 she became ranking ambassador, then chief of staff to Foreign Minister Gentiloni. She was later promoted to secretary general of the Farnesina, then appointed by Mario Draghi as director of the Department of Security Intelligence (Dis), Italy’s top intelligence agency. A few weeks ago, exactly on January 15, Belloni had submitted her resignation from the Dis. Among the reasons given, she had referred to supervening incompatibilities with the government.