President of IFRC to resign amid controversy in Italy

An extraordinary general meeting may be convened in December to elect Francesco Rocca's successor. Keystone / Magali Girardin

Francesco Rocca, the President of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) in Geneva, is set to step down following a controversy in Italy.

The news of Rocca’s departure was shared internally, according to independent sources cited by Swiss news agency Keystone-SDA on Thursday. A spokesperson for the IFRC stated that Rocca will continue in his role until an extraordinary general meeting is held to select his successor.

When approached for comment by Agence France-Presse (AFP), the IFRC did not immediately respond.

As the right-wing president of Italy’s Lazio region, Francesco Rocca withdrew his support for the Pride march in Rome. In a press release, he expressed that the region’s name should not be used to endorse actions that promote illegal behavior, specifically referring to the practice of surrogacy.

While Rocca stated that his decision to resign is not directly linked to this particular incident, he conveyed his “deep sadness” in a letter addressed to the organisation’s 192 members and secretariat. He expressed his desire to protect the IFRC and prevent any potential manipulation of his decisions as the Lazio president, which could impact the international institution. Rocca recognised that every decision could be subjected to manipulation, regardless of intentions.

According to sources mentioned by Keystone-SDA, an extraordinary general meeting may be convened in December to elect Rocca’s successor. Currently serving his second term, Rocca was re-elected in June 2022.

He was elected as the head of the Lazio region last year with the support of Italy’s Prime Minister, Giorgia Meloni’s coalition, which advocates for “traditional” family values.

The far-right party, Fratelli d’Italia, led by the prime minister, has proposed legislation to extend the existing ban on parental surrogacy to Italians who seek surrogate mothers abroad.

The decision by the Lazio region is based on their belief that the public statements made by the organisers of the Roma Pride march, including calls for the rights of same-sex couples to adopt children and access fertility treatments, as well as calls for the legalisation of surrogacy, violate the sponsorship criteria set by the region.

Roberto Gualtieri, the left-wing mayor of Rome, criticised the region’s decision.