Less than 24 hours away fromtask entrusted by the President of the Republic Sergio Mattarella to the new Premier Giorgia Meloni, the centre-right government has been sworn in. I 24 ministers arrived one after the other in the ballroom of the Quirinale for the formal ceremony that sanctions the official birth of the new Government, for the first time in the history of Italy led by a woman.
“Here is the government team that will serve Italy with pride and a sense of responsibility. Now immediately to work,” tweeted the premier Giorgia Meloni just out of the Quirinale.
The oath of the ministers of the Meloni government
Before the President of the Republic and the general secretary of the Quirinale Ugo Zampetti, first the Prime Minister, Giorgia Meloni, then the two deputy premiers Antonio Tajanie Matteo Salvini. Subsequently it was the turn of the ministers without portfolios and finally parading in front of the head of state, Sergio Mattarella, are the holders of the departments with portfolios, starting with Giancarlo Giorgetti, minister of Economy and Finance.
Everyone acted the same formula: “I swear to be faithful to the Republic, to loyally observe its Constitution and laws and to exercise my functions in the exclusive interest of the nation”.
The next steps
Having taken the oath, the Prime Minister and the ministers have therefore officially assumed their own government responsibility.
At this point, based on the provisions of the Constitutional procedure, they will have 10 days to obtain the trust of the Houses and the Senate. In reality, times should be much shorter, according to forecasts, in fact, the votes will already be held on Tuesday and the new undersecretaries will also be nominated at the same time.
But first, already on Sunday morning, it will be carried out the handover between the former Premier Mario Draghi and the new Giorgia Meloni, through the famous "ritual of the bell". Following is expected first council of ministers of the new government.
Meetings with international leaders
However, the first important appointment for Giorgia Meloni will arrive on Monday, when a meeting with the French president should take place, Emmanuel Macron who will arrive in Italy on Sunday for a meeting in the community of Sant'Egidio. An opportunity to send a clear message to international observers: not only will the change of leadership of Palazzo Chigi not cause Italy to be isolated, but the new executive will continue to work in the footsteps of the old one, confirming its Atlanticism, its Europeanism and his support for Ukraine. On this last point, in particular, Meloni intends to repair the damage done by Berlusconi in recent days. One of his first acts as Premier will in fact be to telephone the Ukrainian premier Volodymyr Zelensky to show him the closeness of Italy and the new Executive. Subsequently, between 15 and 16 November the G20 is scheduled in Indonesia. And there Meloni could have a bilateral agreement with the US president, Joe Biden
Messages from foreign leaders
“I am ready to work with Meloni and I will meet her around the table of the European Council,” he said yesterday Emmanuel Macron while he was busy at the European Council in Brussels. Of the same opinion also the German Chancellor, Olaf Scholz: “Whenever there are changes of government due to elections, this cannot ruin the good relations we have with other member states or, for example, that we have between Germany and Italy. We will continue to work with very good cooperation,” Scholz stressed after the European summit.
“Congratulations Giorgia Meloni on the formation of your government! It's a great day for the European right,” the Hungarian president tweeted Viktor Orbán.
The words of the leader of the French far-right also arrived on Twitter shortly after, Marine Le Pen: “I extend to Giorgia Meloni, the new president of the Italian Council of Ministers, and to Matteo Salvini, vice president, all my best wishes for success. Everywhere in Europe, patriots are rising to power and with them this Europe of nations that we are asking for”.
“Congratulations to Giorgia Meloni, the first female premier in Italy. Europe is facing huge challenges. Let's help our citizens and support Ukraine by standing united and determined. Europe needs Italy. Together we will overcome any difficulty. Good work!”, the president of the European Parliament wrote in a tweet in Italian, Roberta Metsola.
Congratulations also from the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen who wrote to Meloni in a tweet: "Let's work together constructively".
Then came the congratulations of the President of the European Council, Charles Michel: “Congratulations to Giorgia Meloni who assumes the role of Italy's first female premier. Let's work together for the benefit of Italy and the EU” reads a tweet in English. While she adds in Italian: "I'm waiting for you at the European Council to work together for the good of the European Union".
