Who Is Giacomo Filibeck, Italian Leader At Centre Of New BJP vs Congress Row

New Delhi: Italian political leader Giacomo Filibeck has been drawn to the centre of a fresh flashpoint between the Congress and the BJP, after he accused the ruling establishment of undermining democratic values and declared his support for Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi and his party.Filibeck, the Secretary General of the Party of European Socialists (PES), made the remarks on the sidelines of the Bharat Summit 2026 in Hyderabad, an international gathering organised by the Congress that has drawn political leaders, policymakers and representatives from several countries. His comments have since triggered a sharp response from the BJP, which has accused Rahul Gandhi of seeking foreign support against the Narendra Modi government."I believe that this kind of gatherings, conference, summit are vital to raise international attention on concerning challenges. Democracy is under attack in India, and we need to defend it, and the best way to defend it is to stand by Rahul Gandhi and the Indian Congress Party," he said at the gathering."And together with the Indian Congress Party and many other players around the globe, we are part of a progressive alliance--political movements that believe in values like social justice, climate justice, human rights, and democracy. True democracy. Not the corrupted one, not the rigged one, not the fake one," Filibeck said."Vote chor, gaddi chhod (vote thief, leave your seat," he added. Who Is Giacomo Filibeck?Born in Italy in 1978, Giacomo Filibeck is a European socialist politician who has spent much of his professional life working with youth organisations, political movements and international institutions.He is currently the Secretary General of the Party of European Socialists, one of Europe's major political groupings, a position he has held since 2023. Filibeck's involvement in politics began during his school years, when he became active in youth non-governmental organisations. He subsequently held leadership positions at both national and international levels.Between 2002 and 2004, he served as President of the European Youth Forum and the Youth Convention on the Future of Europe. During this period, he also participated in discussions surrounding the drafting of the European Constitutional Treaty, attending plenary sessions of the convention as an observer.Between 2005 and 2009, Filibeck served two terms as president of the Young European Socialists (YES), the youth organisation associated with the European socialist political family.On behalf of the organisation, he was also a member of the presidency of the Party of European Socialists.Filibeck's career subsequently moved towards mainstream party politics in Italy, where he became associated with the Partito Democratico (PD), the country's centre-left Democratic Party.He joined the party's international department in 2010, taking responsibility for following developments in the Middle East, the Mediterranean region and Africa.He was appointed chair of the Partito Democratico's foreign policy forum in 2013, a position he held until the end of that year. His responsibilities included engagement with international political developments and the party's foreign policy positions.In 2014, Filibeck joined Italy's Ministry of Agriculture, where he was appointed Head of International Relations. He subsequently served as director of the ministry's international relations office between 2014 and 2015.Filibeck has also been associated with the professional journalism community in Italy. He has been a member of the country's national professional journalists' association since 2009. Academically, he holds a bachelor's degree in political science and a master's degree from INSEAD.