Foti sworn in as European affairs minister

(ANSA) - ROME, DEC 2 - Tommaso Foti on Monday was sworn in as minister for European affairs, the South, cohesion and the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (NRRP) before President Sergio Mattarella.
    Foti, 64, hitherto Premier Giorgia Meloni's Brothers of Italy (FdI) House whip, will replace Raffaele Fitto who resigned on Saturday to take on his new role as an executive vice president of the European Commission with the brief for cohesion and the NRRP.
    Mattarella had previously received at the Quirinale palace Premier Giorgia Meloni and signed the decree accepting Fitto's resignation and appointing Foti to the post, according to a note released by the Quirinale.
    The swearing-in ceremony was also attended by Meloni and Cabinet Undersecretary Alfredo Mantovano, among others.
    "Tommaso is a politician with great experience and capability, among the best resources Brothers of Italy has today", Meloni said after the ceremony.
    "He has a long parliamentary career behind him and, as whip, he has been able to prove during this legislature his value and expertise, guiding the main party of the majority" coalition at the Lower House, the premier also said, congratulating Foti.
    Galeazzo Bignami, the current deputy infrastructure and transport minister, will replace Foti as FdI's whip in the House. (ANSA).