Elisabetta Belloni, former secretary general of the Farnesina and head of the Italian secret services, has decided to conclude well in advance of his assignment as diplomatic advisor to Ursula von der Leyen. According to what reported by Republic, it was the ambassador herself who directly communicated to the President of the European Commission her intention to return to Italy in September. The official reason? Personal reasons. A choice that comes after only seven months in Brussels and which surprised the German leader, who had tried in vain to dissuade Belloni.
A controversial nomination and a difficult relationship
Belloni's call alongside von der Leyen was arrived at the end of January 2025, after a turbulent passage with the sudden resignation from the leadership of the DIS, first announced to the Italian government and then formalized within a few weeks. The climate with Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni had already cooled in 2024, during the preparation of the G7 in Borgo Egnazia, when Belloni was still Italy's official sherpa. And even in the months spent in Brussels, European sources say, there would have been no shortage of contrasts, especially with the Chief of Staff of the President of the Commission.
Last commitments before returning
Belloni will formally leave his post in September, but first he will conclude two missions with the EU leaders in China and Japan. Until then, she will remain fully operational in Brussels, even though a successor has not yet been identified. Her return to Italy, according to leaks, will not be accompanied by a new institutional assignment. The former director of the DIS should move to her residence in the countryside, in the Arezzo area, with no political commitments on the horizon.
