Renzi ally tapped to lead Italian caretaker government

11 December 2016, 3:05 pm

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Paolo Gentiloni has been named as Italy’s new prime minister following reformist leader Matteo Renzi’s resignation in the wake of a crushing referendum defeat.

Gentiloni, who had been Renzi’s foreign minister, is asked by President Sergio Mattarella to form a new government that will guide Italy to elections due by February 2018, a presidency spokesman announced.

Gentiloni, 62, is seen as a close ally of Renzi who is unlikely to get in the way of the outgoing premier’s plans for a political comeback.

Gentiloni now has to put together his own government line-up which is expected to be put to a parliamentary confidence vote on Wednesday.

— AFP