New Premier Giorgia Meloni has called
for unity from within her ruling alliance as she gets down to
work after formally taking office at the weekend.
Meloni, whose Brothers of Italy (FdI) party spearheaded the
right-wing coalition it belongs to to victory in last month's
general election, 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 in Sunday.
Before that ceremony Meloni had 80 minutes of talks with Draghi
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.
"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 "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 on Tuesday and 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.
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