Carlo Calenda to be named new EU envoy

(ANSA) - Rome, January 19 - Deputy Industry Minister Carlo Calenda will on Wednesday be tapped as Italy's new ambassador to the European Union, replacing Stefano Sannino, government sources said Tuesday. Calenda's appointment will be formalised at a cabinet meeting Wednesday night, they said. The appointment comes at a sensitive time in EU-Italy relations, amid a row between Premier Matteo Renzi and European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker over alleged "insults" to the EC. Calenda, a former businessman who is a member of renzi's ruling Democratic Party, is the first career politician to be named as envoy to Brussels after a long line of career diplomats. Calenda, 43, is a former marketing director for Sky Italia who served as deputy executive of business group Confindustria under its former head, Luca de Montezemolo, In that latter capacity he handled trade dossiers with countries including India, China, Brazil, Russia, UAE, Thailand, Kazakhstan, Serbia, Romania, Bulgaria, Egypt, Turkey, Algeria, Tunisia, Morocco, Israel, South Africa and Mexico. Calenda is the son of economist Fabio Calenda and film director Cristina Comencini.