Mario Draghi, the former president of the European Central Bank, was sworn in Saturday as Italy’ prime minister.
Italian President Sergio Mattarella conducted the swearing in at Rome’s Quirinale palace, with only a small group of ministers in attendance due to coronavirus restrictions.
The current president of the ECB, Christine Lagarde, was among the first top officials to congratulate Draghi on Twitter, wishing him “all the best as he takes on the task ahead, leading the government in the best interests of all Italian citizens.”
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President Charles Michel also offered words of congratulations on Twitter – expressing the desire to work with Draghi for Europe’s economic recovery and the EU’s future. Michel included the hashtag “WhateverItTakes.”
Draghi was called upon to form a government after the center-left coalition led by Giuseppe Conte collapsed following disagreements over coronavirus recovery plans.
After several days of consultations, Draghi said Friday he would be prime minister atop a government featuring politicians from across the spectrum, with 15 political appointments, including high-profile business leaders, and eight technocrats.
The former ECB chief, who is credited with saving the euro during the financial crisis of a decade ago, will be tasked with steering Italy through the pandemic. The country has the second-highest debt in the eurozone and will receive the largest share of money (€209 billion) from the EU’s coronavirus recovery fund.
The new government will face a confidence vote in parliament next week.