Agi, Eni confirms that it has received an offer but “no negotiations in progress”. The director of Angelucci’s publishing company ready to leave

The empire of Antonio Angelucci will soon lose a trusted manager in the most expanding sector, that of publishing. In July he will leave his post as general director of Angelucci’s publishing company Daniele Cavaglia. His right-hand man who relaunched some publications, oversaw the acquisition of Newspaper from the family Berlusconi and the bid to take over Agi has been launched, Cavaglià will soon be joined by other managers and then in July he will resign: “Decision taken over a year ago for personal reasons, no connection with the events regarding the possible negotiation for Agi” , say Tosinvest circles, the parent company of the group.

The news leaked right at the height of the dialogue with Eni to take over the Agi agency, with journalists in a state of agitation and on strike for two days. A case, that of the expansion of the group of newspapers and publications by the deputy of the League, which is raising controversy: with questions in Parliament on the risk for the “plurality of information” and possible conflicts of interest on this operation which will have to be endorsed also by Eni’s partner, the Ministry of Economy led by the Minister of the League Giancarlo Giorgetti, and from Palazzo Chigi which will have to evaluate the possible golden power as required by the new legislation which has included publishing among the “strategic” sectors for the country. It is no mystery that the editorial hub already includes it Newspaper, Free and Timehas as its “political” reference the current government led by the center-right and by Giorgia Meloni.

A question on what is happening will also arrive in Brussels. “From the press we learn of the desire of the deputy Antonio Angelucci to acquire the Italian news agency: in light of this situation I have submitted a question to the European Commission to find out if it is aware of this situation, and what actions it intends to take in the event of failure to respect the agency’s editorial independence in light of the regulation establishing the European law on media freedom”, says MEP Avs Massimiliano Smeriglio. And Eni, owner of the newspaper, tries to throw water on the fire: “As has already happened other times in the past, Eni received a spontaneous expression of interest from a person interested in Agi: a preliminary discussion followed. To date there is no negotiation underway.”