Italy’s first female prime minister appointed

ROME: Giorgia Meloni has sworn in as first female prime minister of Italy. 

Giorgia Meloni has formed Italy’s new ruling coalition, since the end of second world- war, its first far right-led government of the country. 

The announcement was made by one of the officials of presidential palace that Meloni is set to become the first woman to serve as the prime minister, and her cabinet would be sworn in on Saturday. In Italy’s national election, Meloni’s party Brothers of Italy, with neo-fascist roots, was the top vote-winner in September.

A few hours before the announcement of the new government’s formation, Meloni told reporters that she and her allies had consistently asked President Sergio Mattarella to give her the mandate to rule.

Winning the leadership led to a remarkable quick upsurge for Brothers of Italy. The party was co-founded by Meloni, 45, in December 2012. It was considered a fringe party during its first years.

No announcements were made by her before leaving the Quirinal presidential palace. Earlier in the day, She met with Mattarella earlier in the day, along with her two main,– Matteo Salvini and the former prime minister Silvio Berlusconi.

The government was shaped in “brief time” following the 25 September election, Mattarella. It took three months for a new ruling alliance to come together since last election in 2018.

“Quickly giving the country a new government was possible due to the clarity of the vote outcome and to the need to proceed swiftly also because of the domestic and international conditions that require a government in its fullness to carry out its tasks”, Mattarella.

Italy and most of Europe are facing increasing energy prices. Also Russia’s war in Ukraine could affect gas provisions this season and continue increasing household and business power bills.

Matteo and Berlusconi are longtime followers of the Russian president, Vladimir Putin, whereas Meloni determinedly backs Ukraine in its security against the Russian attack. There could be some challenges for their governing alliance due to such differences.

The election victory of Meloni’s party had annoyed Berlusconi. Brothers of Italy scored 26% of the vote, while Berlusconi’s Forza Italia and the anti-migrant League of Salvini managed to score only more than 8% each. In parliamentarian election of 2018 Italy, Meloni’s party scored only over 4%.

Although her party’s members are the largest force in the Italian parliament, still she needs the support of her two allies to rule a majority.

Georgia is recently called “arrogant” in written remarks by Silvio, who fancies himself a rare leader on the world stage. Apparently, it happened after Meloni rejected to make one of the media entrepreneurs’ adjoining advisers a government minister.

During a meeting with Forza Italia’s lawmakers this week, Silvio conveyed sympathy for Putin’s interest in occupying Ukraine.

Italian news agency LaPresse got the recording of the conversation leaked also captured Berlusconi boasting that he received vodka bottles by Putin for his 86th birthday and he gave wine bottles to Russian leader.

Meloni said that ‘Anyone connecting to her rule must be firmly in synchronization with the west in conflicting Putin’s war,’ in answer to Berlusconi’s remarks, which included offensive comments about the Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelenskiy.  She further said, ‘If that meant her government could not be formed, she would take that risk.’

As foreign minister, she chose Antonio Tajani who is one of Berlusconi’s chief assistants in Forza Italia and a former president of the European Union’s parliament.