Tensions Between Meloni and Ousted Leonardo CEO Built Over Time

The tensions that led Giorgia Meloni to replace Roberto Cingolani at Leonardo SpA built up over time, and had their roots in a mismatch between the Italian prime minister’s control over decisionmaking and her appointee’s independence.

As chief executive officer of Italy’s most important defense contractor, Cingolani occasionally displayed reluctance to follow the implicit rules of working within Meloni’s government, said people familiar with their interactions, who spoke on condition of anonymity.