The Grand and General Council (Consiglio Grande e Generale) has unanimously approved the appointment of Paolo Zuccarelli as commander of the Gendarmerie. The retired general of the Carabinieri corps succeeds General Faraone, who is stepping down after tendering his voluntary resignation.
The proposal was presented by Secretary of State Luca Beccari, who outlined a key priority: giving the Corps stable leadership, fully committed to San Marino, while preserving its ties with the Carabinieri.
“We want a commander dedicated exclusively to the Republic of San Marino, someone who makes a clear choice and comes to lead our Gendarmerie with no plans to return elsewhere.”
Beccari highlighted Zuccarelli’s background in the GIS (Special Intervention Group), his work protecting the President of the Republic, and his international missions, particularly in the Balkans and the Middle East. This career path includes expertise in combating organized crime and terrorism, seen as valuable assets for tackling emerging threats and strengthening cooperation with foreign police forces — especially ahead of the border management agreement with the European Union.
The Secretary of State thanked Faraone for more than ten years at the helm of the Gendarmerie, recalling his collaboration with the Carabinieri, relations with Europol, and the Corps’ entry into FIEP.
Alongside the appointment of the new commander, Beccari acknowledged the professional growth of officers within the Corps and left open the possibility that a Sammarinese citizen could one day lead it: “I don’t believe we’re far from the moment when we will be able to appoint a Sammarinese commander of the Gendarmerie as well.”
