ROME (AP) — Giorgia Meloni, whose political party has neo-fascist roots, was sworn in Saturday as Italy’s first far-right prime minister since the end of World War II.
Meloni, 45, was sworn in before the Italian president at the presidential palace, becoming the first woman to lead the nation.
His party, the Brothers of Italy, won the most votes in last month’s national elections. Meloni announced her cupboard Friday night. Its coalition allies are Matteo Salvini’s right-wing League and the conservative Forza Italia party led by former Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi.
Meloni recited the ritual oath of office, pledging to be unwavering with the postwar Italian republic and act “in the exclusive interest of the nation. “of state, it is the guarantor of the Constitution, drafted in the years immediately following the end of the war, which saw the demise of the fascist dictator. Benito Mussolini.
Meloni’s 24 ministers followed him and were sworn in. Five of the ministers are technocrats and do not represent any party. Six of them are women.
Meloni will head his first cabinet meeting on Sunday. His government replaces one headed by Mario Draghi, the former head of the European Central Bank, who was appointed through Mattarella in 2021 to lead a coalition of national unity against the pandemic. Meloni was the party’s sole main leader refusing to join the coalition, insisting that the country’s electorate return to the polls, which he did on September 25.
When Meloni was sworn in on Saturday, European Commission leader Ursula von der Leyen congratulated her on her appointment as prime minister and said she looked forward to “constructive cooperation” with her government.
“Congratulations to Giorgia Meloni on her appointment as Italian prime minister, the first to hold the position,” von der Leyen tweeted.
“I look forward to constructive cooperation with the new government in the demanding situations we face together and look forward. “
The congratulations were echoed through the president of the European Parliament, Roberta Metsola, who tweeted in Italian that “Europe desires Italy. “
Meloni appointed Italian prime minister on Friday, taking the helm of the EU’s third-largest economy.
He has appointed a former president of the European Parliament, Antonio Tajani, as minister.
Meloni’s coalition needs to renegotiate Italy’s percentage of an EU post-Covid recovery fund, arguing that the existing energy crisis should be factored into its disbursement.
But the budget is tied to a series of reforms and analysts say Meloni has room to maneuver on this issue.
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