- Title: Italians divided as new government coalition sworn in
- Date: 5th September 2019
- Summary: ROME, ITALY (SEPTEMBER 5, 2019) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF EXTERIORS OF QUIRINALE PRESIDENTIAL PALACE (SOUNDBITE) (Italian) ROME RESIDENT, PAOLO, SAYING: "I am really happy because we got rid of Salvini. In my opinion, he was a great danger for our country." (SOUNDBITE) (Italian) ROME RESIDENT, DANIELA ROSSI, SAYING: "Honestly, I think this new government is so improvised, it's not a well-studied thing. I do not think this will be a strong government, as far as I can see." (SOUNDBITE) (Italian) MILAN RESIDENT, MASSIMO MAGGIORINI, SAYING: "I don't know about the deal the two parties reached but they had to do something. It baffles me that they got back together after years of fights. The new ministers seem to be quite experienced, from what I know they seem to me to be quite prepared. Let's hope. We need stability, we need to explain what is happening to our children." (SOUNDBITE) (Italian) ROME RESIDENT, NINETTA MURRU, SAYING: "I do not agree with the new government but maybe I'm wrong. From my point of view, I do not agree but it does not mean that I am right."
- Embargoed: 19th September 2019 10:56
- Keywords: Italy Rome new government politics Italian PM Giuseppe Conte Italian President Sergio Mattarella Democratic Party 5-Star Movement
- Location: ROME, ITALY
- City: ROME, ITALY
- Country: Italy
- Topics: Government/Politics
- Reuters ID: LVA001AVDSSHZ
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Italians on Thursday (September 5) woke to a new government with the pro-European Democratic Party (PD) flanking the anti-establishment 5-Star Movement in an unlikely alliance that has been cheered on by financial markets.
As the new Italian coalition was sworn into office, some locals remained unconvinced the administration would bring real change.
The previous administration, also led by Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte, collapsed last month when Matteo Salvini's far-right League party pulled out of its coalition with 5-Star in a vain attempt to force early elections.
Salvini's gambit backfired badly, ushering in a new alliance between previous political enemies that is expected to tone down his crackdown on migrants arriving by boat from Africa and look to repair strained ties with Brussels.
The government will not be fully operational until it wins confidence motions in the lower and upper houses of parliament slated for Monday (September 9) and Tuesday (September 10) respectively.
Conte is expected to win both votes, but his government will only have a slender majority in the upper house Senate which could come back to haunt him when particularly sensitive legislation gets put before the house.
(Production: Carmelo Camilli, Gabriele Pileri, Fabiano Franchitti) - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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