Tag: Enrico Letta

The leader of the Centre-left Democratic Party (PD), Matteo Renzi, was on Monday appointed as the new Italian Prime Minister.

Renzi, 39-year-old Mayor of Florence, was summoned by Italian President Giorgio Napolitano at Quirinale Presidential Palace in the morning and given a mandate to try to form a new cabinet, after the resignation of Enrico Letta last week.

“I accepted the mandate President Napolitano has given me with reservation, and I will put all my energy and strength in the commitment of forming a new government that could last until the natural end of the parliamentary term and implement all necessary reforms,” Renzi told reporters.

“Today I will meet with the presidents of the Senate and the House of Chambers and then I will begin talks with political parties to strike a deal on the programme,” Renzi added.

“The new programme will require an urgent discussion on constitutional reforms to be carried out during February.

“Then government and parliament will be put at work on the unemployment emergency in March and on the reform of public administration and tax system between April and June,” he concluded.

The News Agency of Nigeria reports that Renzi is the youngest Italian prime minister ever.

Intense and swift consultations with political parties were carried out by President Napolitano on Friday and Saturday, in order to shorten the political uncertainty as much as possible.

It was widely expected that Renzi would be chosen for the role, since he leads the largest party in parliament.

Renzi became prime minister after Letta resigned on Friday following a call of his own Democratic Party on Thursday for a new administration and a more incisive implementation of reforms.

Letta was increasingly blamed by party for the slow pace of his cabinet in dealing with the crisis.

His younger rival Renzi said the country had an urgent need to end “uncertainty” and pull out from the economic “swamp.”

… Enrico Letta resigns as premier

Florence mayor Matteo Renzi is expected to be offered the chance to become Italian prime minister, as talks begin on forming a new government, the BBC reports.

President Georgio Napolitano is starting consultations following the resignation of Enrico Letta.

He was ousted in a vote called by Mr. Renzi at a meeting of their centre-left Democratic Party. The 39-year-old would be Italy’s youngest prime minister.

Mr. Letta was under increasing pressure over Italy’s poor economic performance.

After accepting the prime minister’s resignation, Mr. Napolitano’s office said talks would begin with political leaders on finding a replacement.

The consultations would be conducted swiftly to find an “efficient solution” and they would conclude on Saturday, the statement added.

Mr. Letta’s position became untenable once the Democratic Party backed a call for a new administration.

Mr. Renzi had argued that a change of government was needed to end “uncertainty.”

A new government should take over until the end of the current parliamentary term in 2018, he said.

He had accused Mr. Letta of a lack of action on improving the economic situation, with unemployment at its highest level in 40 years and the economy shrinking by 9 per cent in seven years.

The Italian prime minister was also accused of failing to implement promised reforms of what is seen as an often corrupt and wasteful bureaucracy.

Italian Prime Minister, Enrico Letta, has said he will resign on Friday after his Democratic Party backed a call for a new administration.

Party leader Matteo Renzi had earlier called for a change of government at a party meeting, saying the country could not go on in “uncertainty.”

Speculation has been rife that Mr. Renzi wants to take over as prime minister.

BBC reports that he is eight years younger than Mr. Letta and was elected leader of the party in December.

Mr. Letta said in a statement that his decision followed “the decision taken today by the national leadership of the Democratic Party.”

The PM said he would formally submit his resignation to President Giorgio Napolitano at the presidential palace on Friday.

Relations between Mr. Letta and Mr. Renzi had become increasingly fraught, the BBC reports.

The Democratic Party now hopes that Mr. Renzi will be able to replace him and form a new administration, the report adds.

Mr. Renzi has previously accused Mr. Letta of a lack of action on improving the economy, with unemployment at its highest level in 40 years and the economy shrinking by 9 per cent in seven years.