Donald Trump has officially chosen the new American ambassador to Rome. It’s about Tilman Fertitta. “Tilman is an accomplished entrepreneur, who founded and built one of our country’s leading entertainment and real estate companies, which employs approximately 50,000 Americans,” said the American president in pectore. “Tilman has a long history of commitment to the community through numerous philanthropic initiatives, which include children’s charities, law enforcement and the medical community,” he added. The nomination will have to be ratified next year by the Senate.
Texan tycoon, Fertitta he is president and CEO of Landry, a large hotel, restaurant and casino company, which boasts a turnover of approximately three billion dollars. He is also the owner of the Houston Rockets, a Houston basketball team that competes in the NBA. Friend of Trump and historic financier of the Republican Party, Fertitta he is also a good friend of the Democratic senator from Arizona, Mark Kelly: a circumstance that could favor the confirmation of his nomination to the upper house. In 2020, Fertitta was, among other things, appointed by the Republican governor of Texas, Greg Abbottin a commission tasked with progressively reopening the various activities of the State following the Covid-19 pandemic.
In all likelihood, there will be two main dossiers on the table of the new American ambassador to Italy. First of all, the Chinese question. In 2020, the first Trump administration expressed considerable concern about the rapprochement that the Conte II government had promoted towards Beijing. This time, the situation is different, also because, last year, Giorgia Melonidid not renew the controversial memorandum on the New Silk Road. Fertitta he will therefore likely be the liaison figure between the new American administration and Palazzo Chigi in the further strengthening of transatlantic relations.
The second dossier will instead be that of the wider Mediterranean. The current Italian government has asked NATO for greater attention to its southern flank, also to counter the moves of Moscow and Beijing in North Africa and the Sahel region. Furthermore, it is not excluded that Trump wants to extend the Abraham Accords to the Maghreb. This is a scenario in which the Melonsthanks above all to the Mattei Plan, could carve out a mediation role especially with Tunis and Tripoli. Also from this perspective, the figure of Fertitta could prove particularly important: it could, in other words, facilitate bank play between Trump and the Melons on issues relating to the wider Mediterranean and the southern flank of the Atlantic Alliance.
