The first female prime minister in the history of Italy, Giorgio Meloni, was sworn in this morning, reports Reuters.
Thus, Italy gets the most right-wing government since the Second World War
"I swear to be faithful to the republic," said 45-year-old Meloni under the crystal chandeliers, before shaking hands with the president, Sergio Mattarella.
The leader of the nationalist Brothers of Italy party, she won last month's election as part of a coalition that included former prime minister Silvio Berlusconi's Forza Italia and Matteo Salvini's League.
Hers, the 12th government of this century, will replace the administration of national unity led by the former head of the European Central Bank, Mario Draghi. Meloni faces a series of challenges, the looming recession, rising energy bills and building a unified stance on the war in Ukraine.
Meloni promised support for Ukraine while Berlusconi repeatedly underestimated her. Earlier this week, he blamed Kiev for the Russian invasion and revealed he had exchanged gifts and "lovely letters" with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Related Articles
After tense talks behind the scenes, Meloni presented her team yesterday, giving five ministries each to her junior partners, Liga and Forca Italia, while reserving nine positions in the cabinet for her party.
Bonus video:
