New Italy ‘grand coalition’ government to be sworn in

Italy’s new coalition government will be sworn in on Sunday morning, breaking two months of political stalemate since the general election.

The new cabinet and prime minister will be sworn in today at the presidential Quirinal Palace in Rome.

The coalition brings together Enrico Letta’s Democratic Party (PD) and the People of Freedom party (PDL) of former PM Silvio Berlusconi.

It was the “only possible government”, said President Giorgio Napolitano.

But correspondents say this “grand coalition” between Italy’s current main right- and left-wing parties is unprecedented, and will probably prove an uneasy alliance,according to BBC.

MrLetta will become the new prime minister.

Mr Berlusconi had said he would not be a minister, but had pushed for leading figures from his party to be given top posts.

Two members of the same family faced each other across the table during the final delicate negotiations for the formation of Italy’s new “Grand Coalition”.

Enrico Letta, 46, a convinced Europhile, is the youngest prime minister in Rome for a whole generation. His uncle, Gianni Letta, 78, a former newspaper editor, has been one of Silvio Berlusconi’s top political advisers for many years, and both men have held the same job as undersecretary at the prime minister’s office.

What will be the result of this unprecedented “historic compromise” between Italy’s current main right- and left-wing parties? Italy has no real experience of grand coalitions. An attempt to form such a government in the 1970s was halted by the kidnap and murder of Aldo Moro by the Red Brigades.

The new coalition will most likely prove to be an uneasy alliance because of Mr Berlusconi’s continued background presence on the political scene. His political ambitions were never extinguished by the economic debacle which ended his last term of office in November 2011.

Angelino Alfano, the PDL’s secretary and one of Mr Berlusconi’s closest political allies, will become deputy prime minister and interior minister in the new government.

Among the other key appointments proposed is Bank of Italy director general FabrizioSaccomanni to head the powerful economy ministry.

MrLetta said the cabinet would have a record number of women.

Former European Commissioner Emma Bonino will become Italy’s first female foreign minister.

Other women given government jobs include Olympic kayaker Josefa Idem who becomes minister of equal opportunity and sports, and Anna Maria Cancellieri at the ministry of justice.

The announcement of the formation of a new government comes at the end of a long and painful process, says the BBC’s Bethany Bell in Rome.

President Napolitano said the government would have the support of both chambers of parliament.

“I hope that this government can get to work quickly in the spirit of fervent co-operation and without any prejudice or conflict,” he said.

“It was and is the only possible government.”

R.S