Controversy on the appointment of Eliseo Zanasi as regent of Confindustria Lecce

LECCE – It is expected for a name from Rome for days and finally arrived: the regent of the Confindustria is Eliseo Zanasi of Foggia. After the resignation of  the President Leone De Castris, caused by strong internal frictions, it was looking for a name that could lead the association of industrialist until the election of the new president, but the absence of a local agreement forced the national leaders to enter the field. From Confindustria Lecce they leak a bit of annoyance when talking about the external commissioner, because this term is used only when the vertices for mafia infiltration are eliminated. Eliseo Zanasi, building contractor, ex-president of Confindustria and of the Foggia Chamber of Commerce, is a simple regent with the task to lead the Salento association until the new vertices are elected: everything must take place within 45 days.

But in Lecce, is already bursting out the protest, because the associates expected an inner regent: according to some, this Roman move smells too much to cure. “Rome’s overwhelming act,” they say. The 3 wise men, who were already at work for the consultations, Viola Margiotta, Mario Montinaro and Valentino Nicolì are already delegitimized by this new appointment: now you will have to resume with the consultations, but there are already those who refuse to meet the new regent.

Meetings of Salentine associates were held to elaborate joint documents that harshly  criticize Roman imposition.

“Obvious imposition that does not respect Salento territory” – they protest. The protests are about to become entrenched. There is a genuine uprising against the Roman vertices. According to some indiscretions that leak in these hours, Antonio Corvino, director of Confindustria Lecce, having had close relationships, for many years, with the Roman probit Michele Matarrese, supervisor of the construction industry, would have agreed to send Zanasi as regent (a  man very close to him and to construction workers). Serious accusations, that are directed behind the scenes and are likely to deflate in an even more serious internal conflict than the resignation of Leone De Castris.