Italy is set to get a new government
later on Friday, almost three months after the March 4 general
election, with Giuseppe Conte's 5-Star Movement (M5S)/League
executive scheduled to be sworn in at 16:00.
The new "government of change" will feature 18 ministers,
five of them women.
Accepting the mandate to form a government from President
Sergio Mattarella on Thursday, Conte, a law professor with no
political experience, said the new government would work to lift
Italian living standards.
"We will work intensely to achieve the political objectives
anticipated in the (government) contract, we will work with
determination to improve the quality of the lives of all the
Italians".
The government rests on an alliance and government contract
between anti-establishment 5-Star Movement (M5S) leader Luigi Di
Maio and anti-migrant Euroskeptic League leader Matteo Salvini.
Both will be deputy premiers and hold key ministries: Salvini
at interior where he will implement a promised crackdown on
undocumented migrants, and Di Maio at a new joint industry and
labour ministry where he will roll out a basic income for job
seekers and poor families.
Di Maio said: "thanks you all, really. The government of
change is a reality! We dedicate all this to (late co-founder)
Gianroberto Casaleggio. I embrace you all! See you tomorrow!"
The M5S said "today is a historic day. The 5-Star
Movement is set to govern the country".
Salvini said at a rally in Sondrio that "my commitment is for
the security of 60 million Italians.
"I will make felt my, our closeness to the forces of law and
order, who do not deserve to be fooled by criminals who enter
and exit jail every quarter of an hour, and we'll see them
left there longer".
Salvini said "open doors in Italy for decent people and a
one-way ticket for those who come to Italy to create problems
and think they can be maintained for life. 'Go home' will be one
of our priorities".
He said "I'd like to give a nice cut to those 5 billion
euros, that seem a bit much to me" (for migrant reception).
Salvini aid "I want to make Italy a protagonist in Europe
again. With good manners, without causing confusion, but I'm fed
up of governments with cap in hand. We are second to none".
He said "the mafia has always made us and will always make us
sick, wherever there is injustice I will try to be there with a
team. I ask you to be close to us because you can't do anything
on your own".
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