By 6 June 2024, the European Competition Commission, led by Margrethe Vestager, will take a decision on the agreement signed between the German aviation group Lufthansa and the Italian Ministry of Economy and Finance (MEF) for the privatization of the carrier ITA Airways flag plane. There are those who complain about Brussels' prejudice on the mechanism for limiting monopolies and evaluating market freedom.

"The Commission's decision may be surprising if we consider the degree of liberalization of the Italian air transport market, certainly the highest among the largest EU countries. In none of them does the national carrier have such a small market share and the largest airline low-cost one so high", writes Ugo Arrigo, former member of the ITA board (2022-2023) and associate professor at the "Bicocca" University of Milan, on "Lavoce.info".

The accusation against Brussels is clear: the European Commission, however, seems to have looked only at the reductions in competition, without considering the increases in the free market in Italy. "At this point the original sin of European antitrust emerges: being entrusted directly to the European Commission rather than to an independent authority. Who guarantees the guarantor? Who guarantees that it is independent and guarantor of (only) competition and not of (large) ) competitors?", concludes Arrigo .

On the topic, see also the article published by AVIONEWS.