Giorgia Meloni is sworn in as the new Prime Minister of Italy.
The Brothers of Italy party won the elections as part of a coalition that includes the parties of former prime ministers Silvio Berlusconi and Matteo Salvini, both from the right.
Reuters - Giorgia Meloni was sworn in as the first woman to hold the position of Prime Minister of Italy this Saturday (22) alongside her cabinet team, giving the country its most right-wing government since the Second World War.
Meloni's party, called Fratelli d'Italia (Brothers of Italy, in a free translation), won the general elections on September 25 as part of a coalition that includes the parties of former prime ministers Silvio Berlusconi and Matteo Salvini, both from the right.
"I swear to be loyal to the republic," said Meloni before shaking hands with President Sergio Mattarella.
Meloni's team will replace a national unity government led by former European Central Bank chief Mario Draghi.
It will also be Italy's 68th government since 1946 and faces daunting challenges, including an impending recession and rising energy bills, as well as presenting a united front in its response to the war in Ukraine.
Although Meloni promised support for Ukraine, Berlusconi repeatedly weakened it by revealing support for his "friend," Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Although the process of assembling a new administration was quick by Italian standards, it exposed tensions within the coalition, with Berlusconi repeatedly appearing to try and undermine Meloni's authority.
Clashes within the coalition
Silvio Berlusconi, in a public statement last week, wrote that he found her "arrogant... domineering... arrogant... offensive."
The 86-year-old triggered a new political storm this week when he told lawmakers from his Forza Italia (Force Italy) party, part of Merloni's coalition, that he blamed Ukraine for the war and said he had exchanged gifts and "sweet letters" with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Meloni later issued a statement saying that his government would be firmly pro-NATO and pro-European:
"Anyone who disagrees with this cornerstone cannot be part of the government," she said.
Berlusconi's right-hand man in Forza Italia, Antonio Tajani, is expected to be the next foreign minister. He flew to Brussels on Thursday for talks with EU allies and assured them that his party condemned Russia's "unacceptable" invasion of Ukraine.
The crucial post at the Ministry of Economy is expected to go to Giancarlo Giorgetti, deputy head of the Lega (League), Matteo Salvini's party, and Minister of Industry in Draghi's government.
Meloni will make her first speech in parliament next week and needs to win votes of confidence in both chambers before the formalities are complete and she can begin to govern.
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