Air France-KLM President Jean Cyrill Spinetta was in Rome on Wednesday to promote his airline's bid to acquire Italian national carrier Alitalia.
Spinetta met first with Alitalia CEO Maurizio Prato, with whom he also had a second chat during a working lunch, and later with Economy Minister Tommaso Padoa-Schioppa, whose ministry has put the Treasury's 49.9% controlling stake in Alitalia up for sale.
He also met with representatives from the UGL union while Italy's three leading trade unions - CGIL, CISL and UIL - have asked to meet with the government on the grounds that they think that it and not Alitalia should be negotiating with Air France-KLM.
UGL representative Renata Polverini said after her meeting with Spinetta that he had demonstrated a ''readiness for real dialogue and wants staff to be involved in the project''.
Wednesday also saw a meeting between Prato and two leading members of the devolutionist Northern League - Roberto Calderoli and Roberto Maroni - which is opposed to Alitalia's plans to reduce service from Milan's Malpensa airport and make Rome its single hub.
The downgrading of Malpensa has the full approval of Air France-KLM which in the future envisions three European hubs, one each in France, the Netherlands and Italy
Both sides later defined the talks as ''frank'' and a statement from the Northern League said Prato had confirmed their ''fears'' over Malpensa's future.
The Northern League agrees with unions that the government should directly negotiate the sale of the national carrier in order to protect national interests.
The Italian government last month gave its green light to the unanimous decision by the Alitalia board to enter into exclusive merger talks with Air France-KLM.
The negotiations are expected to be concluded by the end of February.
Speaking to the press after his lunch with Spinetta, Prato said the Air France-KLM president's visit was ''routine'' and that merger talks between the two airlines were ''moving ahead'' in a satisfactory way.
Prato added that he was sure Spinetta would return to Rome during the eight weeks the Treasury has allotted for negotiations.
''There will certainly be many meetings on a technical level as well as other direct contacts with Spinetta,'' he said.
The government decided at the end of 2006 to sell most if not all of the Treasury's 49.9% stake in Alitalia.
An attempt last summer to auction the stake failed after all the bidders dropped out because of the conditions imposed by the Treasury.
It was then decided that Alitalia management would negotiate the direct sale of the Treasury's stake, with the government having the final word on the deal.
