September 27 2022 19:30
Italy’s far-right leader, Georgia Meloni, and her allies began the process of forming a new government on Tuesday.
Meloni’s Fratelli d’Italia party, which won Sunday’s election, has no governing experience, but it must assemble a cross-party team that tackles skyrocketing inflation and energy prices and the uneasy relationship with Europe.
Meloni, 45, hopes to be the first woman to head the Italian government, but she needs her two allies, the far-right League led by Matteo Salvini and the Forza Italia party led by former Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi to secure a majority in parliament.
The distribution of the most important portfolios, in particular the ministries of economy, foreign affairs, defense and interior, will always be a political issue, but now more than ever it “must reflect the areas of competence,” according to La Stampa newspaper.
Previous times, it took anywhere from four to 12 weeks for a new administration to take over.
But the first maturity is fast approaching, as debt-laden Italy must submit to Brussels its draft budget for next year before October 15.
President Sergio Mattarella will not start consultations to designate a president for the new government until after the election of the presidents of the Senate and House of Representatives from members of Parliament, which will meet on October 13.
During the campaign, Meloni sought to reassure investors that, despite her history, she could be trusted.
Source: Reuters
#Talks #form #government #Italy