Draghi forms new Italian govt, names politicians, technocrats as ministers

ROME, Feb 12 (Reuters/CDE) – Mario Draghi, the former head of the European Central Bank, confirmed on Friday he was ready to form Italy’s next government and unveiled a cabinet with a mix of technocrats and politicians from his broad coalition.

President Sergio Mattarella asked Draghi to be prime minister after party wrangling brought down the previous administration, and set him the task of tackling the coronavirus health crisis and economic meltdown.

Following a week of consultations, almost all the main parties from across the political spectrum pledged their support to Draghi, and prominent figures from these groups were named as ministers.

Luigi Di Maio, a leader of the 5-Star Movement, will remain foreign minister, while Giancarlo Giorgetti, a senior figure in the League party, will be industry minister. Andrea Orlando, from the centre-left Democratic Party, will be labour minister.

However, some key posts went to non-affiliated technocrats, including Daniele Franco, director general of the Bank of Italy, who was named as economy minister and Roberto Cingolani, a physicist and IT expert, who was handed the new role of minister for green transition.

Minister of Culture
Dario Franceschini, former Minister of Culture in the Conte bis government (biography here)

Minister of Labor
Andrea Orlando, Deputy Secretary of the Democratic Party (biography here)

Minister of Justice
Marta Cartabia, former president of the Constitutional Court (her biography here)

Minister of the Interior
Luciana Lamorgese, former Minister of the Interior in the Conte bis government.

Minister of relations with the Parliament
Federico D’Incà

Minister of Technological Innovation and Digital Transition
Vittorio Colao (biography here)

Minister of Public Administration
Renato Brunetta

Minister of General Affairs and Autonomies
Mariastella Gelmini

Minister to the South and Territorial Cohesion
Mara Carfagna (biography here)

Minister for youth policies
Fabiana Dadone

Minister for Equal Opportunities and the Family
Elena Bonetti

Minister of Disability
Erika Stefani

Minister of Tourism
Massimo Garavaglia

Foreign Minister
Luigi Di Maio (biography here)

Ministry of Defense
Lorenzo Guerini

Minister of Economy and Finance
Daniele Franco (biography here)

Minister of Economic Development
Giancarlo Giorgetti

Minister of Agriculture
Stefano Patuanelli

Minister for Ecological Transition
Roberto Cingolani (biography here)

Minister of Infrastructure and Transport
Enrico Giovannini (biography here)

Minister of Education
Patrizio Bianchi

University Minister
Cristina Messa

Minister of Health
Roberto Speranza

Undersecretary to the Presidency of the Council
Roberto Garofoli

(Reporting by Crispian Balmer, editing by Gavin Jones)