“We’re Ready” – Giorgia Meloni Becomes Head of Government of Italy The Dark Side of Pink Floyd Singer Roger Waters

Italy’s far-right election winner Giorgia Meloni has been ordered to form a government by head of state Sergio Mattarella. The Quirinal Palace announced this on Friday evening. The head of the Fratelli d’Italia accepted the order and immediately presented a list of ministers. Mattarella wants to swear to the 45-year-old Saturday morning (10 am) with her cabinet. It is the first time that a woman has become head of government in the country of nearly 60 million inhabitants.

The legal alliance around Meloni was the clear favorite for the formation of a new government in Italy. The Fratelli won the parliamentary elections at the end of September with 26 percent and with Forza Italia, the Lega and the splinter party Noi Moderati they have an absolute majority in both houses of parliament. Meloni must therefore survive confidence votes. Representatives of the center-left parties and the autonomy camp met with Mattarella on Thursday. Some of them then told journalists that they had expressed their concerns about a right-wing government to the head of state.

After the hour-long conversation with Mattarella, Rome-born, Meloni read the list from her cabinet. European politician Antonio Tajani of the conservative Berlusconi party Forza Italia becomes foreign minister and deputy prime minister. Giancarlo Giorgetti of the right-wing populist Lega will head the important Ministry of Finance. His party leader Matteo Salvini was given the Ministry of Infrastructure and, like Tajani, becomes deputy prime minister. Meloni nominated Fratelli politician and former prosecutor Carlo Nordio for the controversial Ministry of Justice. Silvio Berlusconi’s confidante Maria Elisabetta Casellati, who was also in the running for the office, was awarded the Ministry of Reforms. The Ministry of the Interior went to the prefect of the city of Rome, Matteo Piantedosi.

The formation of the new government has moved quickly this time, less than a month after the election, Mattarella said after the meeting. “That was possible because of the clear election results and that was also necessary given the domestic and international situation,” said the 81-year-old.

Meloni was at the presidential palace in the morning to meet with the party and faction leaders of Forza Italia and Lega. The interview lasted less than expected, about ten minutes. “We are already announcing that we are ready because we want to move forward as quickly as possible,” said Meloni, surrounded by quiet Forza Italia founder Silvio Berlusconi and Lega boss Matteo Salvini. The joint public crackdown by the right-wing alliance was preceded by a stir over Berlusconi’s pro-Putin statements and a battle to fill the ministries. (sda/dpa)