New Italy premier unveils government make-up

Italian President Sergio Mattarella has sworn in the cabinet of new Italian Prime Minister Paolo Gentiloni a week after his predecessor, Matteo Renzi, announced his resignation following a referendum defeat.

The 62-year-old Gentiloni, who served as foreign minister in Renzi’s cabinet, unveiled his own cabinet, largely the same as the outgoing administration, on Monday.

On Monday, he received a mandate from Mattarella to form the new government tasked with tackling the much-needed electoral reform and resolving a persisting crisis in Italy’s troubled banking sector.

Gentiloni’s new cabinet will face a confidence vote in both houses of parliament this week before he can formally take office. The new center-left government will then guide the country to elections scheduled to be held by February 2018, a vote which could come up to a year early.

“I put my everything into finding the fastest solution possible” to the crisis, Gentiloni said, adding, “As you can see from its make-up, the government will continue the innovative path of the Renzi government.”

Gentiloni also acknowledged the lingering economic malaise, adding that he would continue the policies of his predecessor.

“We cannot ignore the suffering, especially in the middle class and in the south, where work is scarce,” Gentiloni said,

Shortly before the swearing-in ceremony, Renzi symbolically handed over power to the new prime minister by passing him a little silver ceremonial bell.

Opposition parties were against Gentiloni’s designation. They had called for an immediate election, which was rejected by the president. 

“This government is not even worthy of a vote against it,” said Giulia Grillo, head of the Five Star group, Italy’s biggest opposition party.

The 41-year-old Renzi announced his resignation on December 4 after he lost a constitutional reform referendum, which he heavily backed and was aimed at reducing the role of the Senate and limiting the powers of regional governments.

He had said a No vote at the referendum would mean an end to his government.

The process of electing a new government in Italy has been experienced numerous times.

However, it is the first time a government has collapsed since the Sicilian Mattarella took office last year.

Italy is the eurozone’s third-largest economy, but its stock market has been performing the worst in Europe this year due to problems in its banking system and concerns over political instability.

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