President Milanović is restructuring the consular network in Italy and appointing new honorary consuls

The President of the Republic of Croatia Zoran Milanović issued ten decisions on October 15, 2026, regarding the reorganization of the network of honorary consulates in the Italian Republic and the Republic of Malta, published in Narodne novine no. 122/2026 of October 26, 2026. The previous consulate in Genoa, which covered Liguria, Piedmont, and Valle d’Aosta with consular powers, is being closed, and consulates are being opened in Turin and Aosta, while the newly established consulate in Genoa retains only Liguria. Simultaneously, new honorary consuls were appointed in all three Italian cities, and in Malta, the previous honorary consul was recalled and a new one was appointed.

Legal Framework and Procedure

The decisions on the establishment and closure of consulates are based on Article 99, paragraph 2 of the Constitution of the Republic of Croatia, Article 10, paragraph 5 and Article 17, paragraph 2 of the Foreign Affairs Act (Narodne novine no. 48/96, 72/13, 127/13, 39/18, 98/19, and 152/24), and item I, sub-item 5 of the Decision of the Government of the Republic of Croatia on the Procedure for Establishing Diplomatic Missions and Consular Offices of the Republic of Croatia Abroad of January 5, 2012. The issuance was previously countersigned by the Prime Minister, specifically by acts class T-022-03/25-05/29 to T-022-03/25-05/32, registry number 50301-21/06-26-4 of October 6, 2026, and registry number 50301-21/21-26-4 of October 13, 2026.

The appointments and recalls of honorary consuls were made based on Article 24 of the Foreign Affairs Act and item III, sub-item 4 of the aforementioned Government Decision, upon the proposal of the Government of the Republic of Croatia. All decisions enter into force on the day of their adoption, and all were signed in Zagreb on October 15, 2026, under registry number 71-10-01/1-26-2.

Three Consular Areas Instead of One

Instead of one honorary consulate based in Genoa, which covered three northern Italian regions, the network is divided into three separate consular areas. The establishment of the consulate in Turin covers the territory of the Piedmont region (decision no. 1447, class 020-02/26-01/06), in Aosta the territory of the Valle d’Aosta region (decision no. 1450, class 020-02/26-01/09), and in Genoa the territory of the Liguria region (decision no. 1448, class 020-02/26-01/07). The closure of the previous consulate in Genoa, with powers over Liguria, Piedmont, and Valle d’Aosta, is regulated by decision no. 1449, class 020-02/26-01/08.

All three new consulates are organized with an honorary consul at the head, meaning that consular services for Croatian citizens and the diaspora in northern Italy are now provided from three addresses instead of one.

Appointments in Italy and Change in Malta

Along with the establishment of the consulates, their heads were appointed, and the previous honorary consul in Genoa was dismissed:

• TOTI S. MUSUMECI has been appointed as honorary consul in Turin, with jurisdiction over the Piedmont region (decision no. 1456, class 020-02/26-05/13).
• FILIPPO VACCINO has been appointed as honorary consul in Aosta, with jurisdiction over the Aosta Valley region (decision no. 1455, class 020-02/26-05/12).
• ALESSANDRO MOLINARI has been appointed as honorary consul in Genoa, with jurisdiction over the Liguria region (decision no. 1454, class 020-02/26-05/11).
• ALBERTO FELICE SIMONE MASSUCCO has been recalled from the duties of honorary consul in Genoa, with previous jurisdiction over Liguria, Piedmont, and Aosta Valley (decision no. 1453, class 020-02/26-05/10).

An identical change has been implemented in Malta: JULIANA SCERRI FERRANTE has been recalled from the duties of honorary consul based in Valletta, with jurisdiction over the entire territory of the Republic of Malta (decision no. 1451, class 020-02/26-05/08), and CHRISTIANE LATIF has been appointed as honorary consul for the same area (decision no. 1452, class 020-02/26-05/09).

Significance for the emigration in Northern Italy

The reorganization changes the consular coverage of the Croatian emigration in one of the most densely populated zones of the Croatian diaspora, where Piedmont and Turin are traditionally centers of settlement, and Aosta Valley and Liguria were previously linked to the consulate in Genoa. The division into three smaller areas means that each honorary consul covers one region, which should bring consular services—from registration in the citizens’ records to certifications and other consular affairs—closer to users outside of Turin and Genoa. For Croatian citizens in Italy and Malta, the change takes effect immediately, as all decisions are valid from the date of adoption, October 15, 2026, and were published in the official gazette on October 26, 2026.

Source: Narodne novine, official gazette of the Republic of Croatia, volume CLXXXVIII, no. 122/2026, Zagreb, October 26, 2026 – decisions no. 1447, 1448, 1449, 1450, 1451, 1452, 1453, 1454, 1455 and 1456 (classes 020-02/26-01/06 to 020-02/26-01/09 and 020-02/26-05/08 to 020-02/26-05/13).