Premier Giuseppe Conte forged a new coalition government Wednesday that teams up the populist 5-Star Movement and center-left Democrats in an alliance aimed at shutting fast-rising right-wing forces from power.
Six days after President Sergio Mattarella asked him to try to form a new government, Conte reported back to the presidential Quirinal Palace that he had succeeded.
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Premier Giuseppe Conte forged a new coalition government Wednesday that teams up the populist 5-Star Movement and center-left Democrats in an alliance aimed at shutting fast-rising right-wing forces from power.
The prime minister's first, 14-month-old government collapsed last month when anti-migrant leader Matteo Salvini yanked his League party out of Conte's coalition.
The premier, who before he headed his first government, in June 2018, was a novice to politics with a career as a law professor and mediation specialist. He considers himself non-partisan, although acknowledges sympathizing with the anti-establishment 5-Star Movement.
Ministers will be sworn in on Thursday morning.
He'll be replaced by Luciana Lamorgese, currently an Interior Ministry official in Milan who is considered an immigration expert and also non-partisan.
Italian Premier Giuseppe Conte waves at Rome's Quirinale Presidential Palace, Wednesday, Sept. 4, 2019. The Italian presidential palace says Premier Giuseppe Conte has formed a new government, a coalition of the populist 5-Star Movement and left-leaning Democrats that shuts out of power right-wing leader Matteo Salvini. (AP PhotoGregorio Borgia)
Italian Premier Giuseppe Conte arrives at Rome's Quirinale Presidential Palace, Wednesday, Sept. 4, 2019. The Italian presidential palace says Premier Giuseppe Conte has formed a new government, a coalition of the populist 5-Star Movement and left-leaning Democrats that shuts out of power right-wing leader Matteo Salvini. (AP PhotoGregorio Borgia)
Italian Premier Giuseppe Conte waves at Rome's Quirinale Presidential Palace, Wednesday, Sept. 4, 2019. The Italian presidential palace says Premier Giuseppe Conte has formed a new government, a coalition of the populist 5-Star Movement and left-leaning Democrats that shuts out of power right-wing leader Matteo Salvini. (AP PhotoGregorio Borgia)
Conte told reporters that he and the new ministers will "dedicate our best energies, our abilities, our passion to making Italy better in the interest of all Italians."
Italian Premier Giuseppe Conte waves at Rome's Quirinale Presidential Palace, Wednesday, Sept. 4, 2019. The Italian presidential palace says Premier Giuseppe Conte has formed a new government, a coalition of the populist 5-Star Movement and left-leaning Democrats that shuts out of power right-wing leader Matteo Salvini. (AP PhotoGregorio Borgia)
The prime minister's first, 14-month-old government collapsed last month when anti-migrant leader Matteo Salvini yanked his League party out of Conte's coalition.
Buoyed by months of rising popularity in opinion polls and the European Parliament elections, Salvini had been betting his surprise pullout would prompt early elections that could have brought him the premiership.
But after days of haggling, Parliament's largest opposition force, the Democratic Party, and the 5-Star Movement, long bitter rivals, worked out a deal to team up in a government again headed by Conte.
Italian Premier Giuseppe Conte arrives at Rome's Quirinale Presidential Palace, Wednesday, Sept. 4, 2019. The Italian presidential palace says Premier Giuseppe Conte has formed a new government, a coalition of the populist 5-Star Movement and left-leaning Democrats that shuts out of power right-wing leader Matteo Salvini. (AP PhotoGregorio Borgia)
The premier, who before he headed his first government, in June 2018, was a novice to politics with a career as a law professor and mediation specialist. He considers himself non-partisan, although acknowledges sympathizing with the anti-establishment 5-Star Movement.
Mattarella reminded journalists that Conte still faces one crucial hurdle. The coalition must win mandatory confidence votes in the legislature's two chambers. Together, the Democrats, 5-Stars and a tiny left-wing party should muster a slim majority.
No date has been set for Conte to address Parliament in a pitch for support or the vote.
Italian President Sergio Mattarella, center, arrives at Rome's Quirinale Presidential Palace, Wednesday, Sept. 4, 2019. The Italian presidential palace says Premier Giuseppe Conte has formed a new government, a coalition of the populist 5-Star Movement and left-leaning Democrats that shuts out of power right-wing leader Matteo Salvini. (AP PhotoGregorio Borgia)
Ministers will be sworn in on Thursday morning.
The key posts include a Democrat, Roberto Gualtieri, as economy minister. He now heads the European Parliament's commission on economy and finance and will have to steer delicate maneuvers by the government to drastically pare down a deficit that worsened with the populists' social welfare programs in Conte's first government.
Salvini loses his position as interior minister, a post he exploited to boost popularity among his voter base by stiffening a crackdown on humanitarian ships rescuing migrants at sea. His League party blames migrants for crime.
Italian President Sergio Mattarella speaks at Rome's Quirinale Presidential Palace, Wednesday, Sept. 4, 2019. The Italian presidential palace says Premier Giuseppe Conte has formed a new government, a coalition of the populist 5-Star Movement and left-leaning Democrats that shuts out of power right-wing leader Matteo Salvini. (AP PhotoGregorio Borgia)
He'll be replaced by Luciana Lamorgese, currently an Interior Ministry official in Milan who is considered an immigration expert and also non-partisan.
The 5-Star leader Luigi Di Maio becomes foreign minister.
Democratic Party leader Nicola Zingaretti, governor of the Lazio region including Rome, declined to have any ministry post to concentrate on strengthening his long-fractious party.
Italian Premier Giuseppe Conte speaks at Rome's Quirinale Presidential Palace, Wednesday, Sept. 4, 2019. The Italian presidential palace says Premier Giuseppe Conte has formed a new government, a coalition of the populist 5-Star Movement and left-leaning Democrats that shuts out of power right-wing leader Matteo Salvini. (AP PhotoGregorio Borgia)
Italian Premier Giuseppe Conte waves at Rome's Quirinale Presidential Palace, Wednesday, Sept. 4, 2019. The Italian presidential palace says Premier Giuseppe Conte has formed a new government, a coalition of the populist 5-Star Movement and left-leaning Democrats that shuts out of power right-wing leader Matteo Salvini. (AP PhotoGregorio Borgia)
Italian Premier Giuseppe Conte arrives at Rome's Quirinale Presidential Palace, Wednesday, Sept. 4, 2019. The Italian presidential palace says Premier Giuseppe Conte has formed a new government, a coalition of the populist 5-Star Movement and left-leaning Democrats that shuts out of power right-wing leader Matteo Salvini. (AP PhotoGregorio Borgia)
Italian Premier Giuseppe Conte waves at Rome's Quirinale Presidential Palace, Wednesday, Sept. 4, 2019. The Italian presidential palace says Premier Giuseppe Conte has formed a new government, a coalition of the populist 5-Star Movement and left-leaning Democrats that shuts out of power right-wing leader Matteo Salvini. (AP PhotoGregorio Borgia)