Elisabetta Belloni has submitted her resignation as chief diplomatic adviser to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, an EU spokesperson confirmed on Monday. Belloni informed von der Leyen of her decision after just over seven months in the post and is expected to leave Brussels after the summer, with her exit currently planned for September or October. The veteran Italian diplomat, who previously headed Italy’s intelligence service DIS and served as Rome’s G7 sherpa, joined von der Leyen’s cabinet in January 2025 on a renewable two-year contract. Belloni cited personal reasons for stepping down. Her departure removes one of the few Italians in the Commission president’s inner circle and leaves von der Leyen seeking a replacement ahead of heavy autumn diplomacy, including an EU-China summit scheduled for late July that Belloni still intends to attend.