New Premier Giorgia Meloni has called for unity from within her ruling alliance, now getting down to work after formally taking office over the weekend.
Meloni, whose Fratelli D’Italia (FdI) party secured the right-wing coalition’s victory in last month’s general election with 26 per cent of the vote, was sworn in as Italy’s first woman premier on Saturday, and celebrated the formal handover from predecessor Mario Draghi with the passing-the-bell ceremony on Sunday.
Before that ceremony, Meloni spoke with Draghi for around 80 minutes, and later on Sunday, she had a meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron, who is in Rome for a two-day-visit to meet Italian President Sergio Mattarella and Pope Francis.
The Italian premier’s office said the talks were “cordial and fruitful” and focused on soaring energy prices, support for Ukraine, the tough economic situation and migration.
On Sunday Macron also attended a conference organized by the Community of Sant’Egidio, a Catholic lay charity and peace association.
“We have to be united to address the emergencies that the county has before it,” Meloni told ministers during her first cabinet meeting on Monday.
She also thanked Pope Francis for saying he was praying for “peace and unity” in Italy after the new administration took power.
Meloni’s government now faces confidence votes on the Lower House and the Senate today and on Wednesday respectively.
She is also working to complete her government with the appointment of its deputy ministers and undersecretaries.
It has been announced, meanwhile, that Roberto Cingolani, the ecological transition minister under Draghi, will serve as an unpaid advisor to Meloni on energy questions.
