Confusion at the airbase

Threatening email from Musk’s office even went to Italians

Elon Musk, US President Donald Trump's efficiency commissioner, is now also causing a stir among Italians. Doge, the tech billionaire's agency, has also sent threatening emails requesting proof of performance to employees at the US base in Aviano, Friuli. Numerous Italian citizens also work there ...

The mail from the US government's Department of Government Efficiency, as Doge is known in full, caused confusion among the staff. In response, the Italian trade unions emphasized that only US and not Italian employees had a duty to respond to the email.

A case for the unions
The Italian employees were not US employees per se, their contracts were in accordance with Italian law and therefore no proof of performance should be demanded from them. This is also the reason why the representatives of the two unions represented at the US base in Aviano have turned to the base's top management and highest reference bodies.

Aviano, in the Friulian province of Pordenone, is the largest American air base in the Mediterranean region.

"We have contacted the official body with which we cooperate on national matters, as we have found that the same situation has occurred at all US bases in Italy. As soon as we receive a reply, we will consider how to proceed," said Roberto Del Savio, union coordinator for the Italian personnel in Aviano.

Astonishment, confusion and indignation
The emails sent to all federal employees have caused surprise, confusion and indignation among those affected in Italy, particularly because of the request to reply by the deadline, otherwise they would be dismissed. Some US employees refused to reply so as not to jeopardize the dissemination of sensitive data.

Protests in the USA
The first email sent around a week ago regarding the performance records requested under threat of dismissal also led to protests in the USA. Several federal authorities instructed their employees to ignore the emails.