ITALY: Italy's new centre-left government, led by former European Commission president Romano Prodi, was formally sworn into office yesterday, thus ending a five-week period of polemics and uncertainty following Mr Prodi's narrow general election victory last month.
Ten years to the day since his first stint as prime minister, Mr Prodi presented a cabinet list to newly elected state president Giorgio Napolitano, who himself was sworn into office on Monday. It was the need to choose a new head of state, following the expiry of President Carlo Azeglio Ciampi's mandate, that delayed Mr Prodi's path to power.
The new cabinet, of course, reflects the need to reward key elements in Mr Prodi's broad "Union" coalition, while highlighting his government's most urgent priorities. Former prime minister Massimo D'Alema, a long-time senior figure in Democratic Left, the largest party in the coalition, combines the roles of foreign minister and deputy prime minister.
Another key coalition party, La Margherita, is rewarded with the appointment of its leader, former mayor of Rome Francesco Rutelli, to the dual role of deputy prime minister and arts and tourism minister.
New economy minister Tommaso Padoa-Schioppa, a former member of the European Central Bank executive and a non-parliamentarian, is another key placement.
Well-known and respected in the international financial community, Mr Padoa-Schioppa faces the daunting task of curbing Italy's rising budget deficit and public debt. His appointment is seen as crucial to Mr Prodi's plans to revitalise Italy's sluggish economy.
The prime minister has added further weight and experience to his cabinet with the appointment of another ex-prime minister, Giuliano Amato, as interior minister. Clemente Mastella, leader of the small, formerly Christian Democrat UDEUR party, and a Union ally who reportedly fought long and hard for a cabinet place, is the new justice minister.
Another internationally well- known cabinet face is Antonio Di Pietro, leader of the Italy of Values party and the former investigating magistrate who played a key role in the Tangentopoli or Bribesville corruption scandal of the early 1990s. Mr Di Pietro will serve as minister for infrastructure.
Although the new cabinet contains six women, only one of those, Livia Turco, has a ministry - she is the new minister for health. The other five, including the radical and former European commissioner Emma Bonino, have been given the role of ministers without portfolio.
Mr Prodi insisted his cabinet was a team: "This is a very cohesive government team. This is not a collection of individuals but rather a team of ministers."
Earlier Mr Prodi had said that his first priority would be to build "a spirit of solidarity" to enable the country to progress and reduce the "level of tension and contrast" of the last 10 years.
The new government team was roundly criticised by the centre-right opposition coalition led by media tycoon Silvio Berlusconi. Spokesman Sandro Bondi called it a "government not at the service of the interests of the country but rather at the service of the particular interests of each [ coalition] party". Mr Berlusconi still refuses to accept that he lost last month's election and has promised that his opposition will be "unrelenting".
Like many political commentators, Mr Berlusconi believes Mr Prodi will have great difficulty in holding together a coalition that stretches from middle of the road Catholics to far-left communists.
The new government is expected to face its first confidence vote tomorrow, which will be in the Senate.