Salerno businessman Vincenzo
Boccia was elected new president of the powerful and influential
industrial employers' lobby Confindustria by a narrow margin on
Thursday.
The outgoing president, Giorgio Squinzi, called on
Confindustria to now put potentially divisive squabbles behind
it and rally around the new chief.
Boccia, for his part, said Confindustria must now move
ahead without dispute after being apparently split right down
the middle by what might be seen as a rather contentious
election.
"There is no such thing as positive or negative events, but
only conditions from which to restart," Boccia said.
"We believe it is possible to forge a path of evolution,
continuity and change, because the complexities facing us do not
allow us the luxury of arguing," he continued.
Boccia won the backing of 100 of the 192 people who took
part in Thursday's meeting of Confindustria's general council,
compared to 91 for Bologna industrialist Alberto Vacchi.
One member of the council cast a blank ballot.
"This vote shows that there are two different positions
within Confindustria, but a split must not emerge from it,"
Vacchi said after losing by a "minimum margin".
Boccia's nomination needs to be ratified at an assembly on
June 25.
The outgoing president, Squinzi, called on the employers'
body to put the apparent rift over the new chief behind it if it
is to retain its authoritative role in Italian business and
society.
Squinzi was speaking after Boccia was elected by a margin of
just nine votes.
"Above and beyond the apparent rift I hope there is now a
chance to regain Confindustria's unity because only if we are
united and cohesive will we be incisive and authoritative," said
Squinzi, the head of industrial adhesives and sealants giant
Mapei, who has been president of Confindustria since 2012.
Squinzi praised Boccia as well as his defeated rival,
Vacchi.
"He (Boccia) is a person I rate highly, as indeed I rated
very highly the other candidate, and I believe we will be able
to ensure a line of continuity in Confindustria's action,"
Squinzi said.
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