Roberta Metsola, President of the European Parliament, is set to be the main speaker at the first-ever SiGMA Central Europe conference in Rome this November, marking a significant development in the region’s political scene as centrist groups encounter new obstacles in passing laws. Scheduled for November 3–6 at Fiera Roma, the event will also include Italy’s Deputy Prime Minister Antonio Tajani and more than 550 speakers, highlighting the intersection of policy and industry leadership in a city rich with history, according to reports on the
Metsola’s address will follow a heated vote in the European Parliament earlier this month, where lawmakers narrowly turned down a proposal to streamline corporate sustainability regulations. The 318–309 vote exposed widening ideological rifts, as Socialist members opposed an agreement supported by the European People’s Party (EPP), Renew, and the Socialists and Democrats. The outcome drew criticism from national leaders, including German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, who labeled the move a “grave error” in a report stating the European Parliament had
These political strains highlight the broader difficulties facing the EU as it readies itself for the COP30 climate summit in November. The Parliament has set out
The SiGMA conference, which expects to welcome 30,000 participants from over 150 nations, also comes as concerns mount over Italy’s fiscal management. Recent figures showed tax evasion rose by 6 billion euros from 2021 to 2022, complicating Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s attempts to balance anti-evasion efforts with relaxed rules on cash payments, a situation described as