Rome - Italy's government has confirmed current European Union Transport Commissioner Antonio Tajani as the country's candidate for the next European Commission, officials said Tuesday. Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi advanced Tajani's nomination in a letter to European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso, according to a spokesman for Italy's European Policies Ministry.
The 56-year-old Tajani, a long-time conservative member of the European Parliament and co-founder of Berlusconi's former Forza Italia party, was first appointed to the Commission in 2008.
Tajani's confirmation is "something Italy can be proud of," the Italian Minister for Implementing the Government' Programme, Gianfranco Rotondi said.
A European Parliament member from Italy's main centre-left opposition Democratic Party, Debora Serracchiani, also welcomed Tajani's candidature.
She expressed appreciation that the European Commission's transport portfolio would remain the responsibility of Tajani who demonstrated "openness" to members of the opposition.
