ROME – After the re-election of President Giorgio Napolitano, Italy has unblocked another problematic impasse, the establishment of a new government.
It will be the young center-left Democratic Party rising star, Enrico Letta, the head of an unprecedented left-right coalition.
In selecting Enrico Letta to be Italy’s probable next premier, President Giorgio Napolitano has opted for generational change combined with experience, moderation and a certain political flexibility.
Letta, 46, will be the third-youngest premier in Italy’s history and despite the fact he has been deputy head of centre-left Democratic Party (PD) for the past four years, he is seen as a moderate.
This suggests Letta possesses a kind of political adaptability that may be just what the Italian government needs after two months of logjam.
Letta hails strong cabinet with ‘record’ women presence. Top left to right: B. Lorenzin, N. De Girolamo, M. Carrozza. Bottom left to right: A. Cancellieri, E. Bonino, J. Idem, C. Kyenge
Letta hails strong cabinet with ‘record’ women presence. Top left to right: B. Lorenzin, N. De Girolamo, M. Carrozza. Bottom left to right: A. Cancellieri, E. Bonino, J. Idem, C. Kyenge
“I will put all I have…with great determination,” to help restore faith in politics, he vowed.
He won plaudits from both parts of his broad left-right coalition with his maiden speech to parliament.
“I’d like to highlight the difference between politics, as in a dialectic, and policies, as in concrete solutions to concrete problems,” Letta told the House. “If we concentrate on politics, the differences will immobilize us. If we concentrate on policies, we will do a service to the country by improving citizens’ lives”.
Despite his age, the new Prime Minister also brings experience – Letta became a cabinet minister at age of 32, the youngest ever to hold such a post in the country’s history. Once described as a “rising star” in the industry portfolio, Letta first served as minister for European Union affairs, and – holding an advanced degree in European legal studies – is said to be staunchly pro-Europe.
He has also been a member of the European Parliament and reportedly speaks fluent English, like Napolitano, an invaluable asset in handling international affairs.
Letta went to school in Strasbourg before getting a degree in international law from Pisa University.
He has lectured occasionally at the Libera Università Cattaneo near Milan, Pisa University and the Haute Ecolé de Commerce in Paris. He has been deputy president of the ASPEN Institute Italia since 2004.
Letta is a fan of the cult Dylan Dog horror comics series featuring a paranormal investigator.
He supports Serie A giant and seven-time European champions AC Milan, which is owned by Berlusconi.
He is also a big fan of British rock band Dire Straits and has written several books, including “Building a Cathedral: Why Italy Should Go Back to Thinking Big” and “Is Europe Over?”, reflections on the problems faced by his homeland and the European Union.
Italy’s new cabinet was given a largely warm reception after the premier designate announced the names of the ministers for his broad coalition government.
The new government will be a relatively young cabinet, featuring seven women, including Italy’s first black minister.
Cecile Kyenge, a doctor who was born in the Democratic Republic of Congo, has become Italy’s first black minister after being named integration minister.
Josefa Idem, another PD MP, will be the first Olympian to be part of an Italian cabinet.
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