Italian President Sergio Mattarella on Friday asked far-right Giorgia Meloni to form a government. The 45-year-old figurehead of Fratelli d’Italia (Brothers of Italy) thus becomes Italy’s first female prime minister. She will be sworn in at 10:00 am on Saturday morning.
Also read this profile of Giorgia Meloni: Who is the figurehead of the party with fascist roots?
Conservative and nationalist Meloni won 26 percent of the vote with her party at the end of September. She will form a government with her right-wing allies Matteo Salvini of Lega and Silvio Berlusconi of Forza Italia. The distribution of portfolios in the new right-wing coalition was difficult. Salvini becomes Minister of Infrastructure and Deputy Prime Minister.
After the swearing-in to the president on Saturday morning, a vote of confidence in both parliaments will follow next week. She and her party, without any management experience, are faced with a huge task to lead heavily indebted Italy through the energy crisis, while interest rates rise and economic growth slows.