China Daily (Hong Kong)

Gentiloni asked to form new govt

- By REUTERS in Rome

The soft-spoken son of an aristocrat­ic family, Paolo Gentiloni is set to become Italy’s fifth prime minister in as many years, promoted thanks to his unwavering loyalty to outgoing premier Matteo Renzi.

Two years into the foreign minister’s job, Gentiloni was asked by President Sergio Mattarella on Sunday to form a new government tasked with tackling much-need electoral reform and a seemingly unending crisis in the banking sector.

He will need to win confidence votes in parliament, expected this week, to take office and even after overcoming that hurdle, he might only survive a few months, with many political chiefs demanding elections as soon as a new electoral law is approved. Paolo Gentiloni Silveri was

Nonetheles­s his rise to power born in November 1954 to a is remarkable for an unassumnob­le, Roman Catholic family. ing center-left politician who As a high-school student has made more friends than drawn to radical leftist politics, enemies in his long career and he dropped his double-baris viewed as a safe pair of hands relled surname. rather than an inspiring leader. After graduating in political

He has Renzi to thank for his science, Gentiloni turned to ascent. journalism, leading an envi

In October 2014, with virtualron­mental magazine for eight ly no internatio­nal experience, years before moving into he was unexpected­ly handed mainstream politics and orgathe foreign affairs portfolio by nizing Francesco Rutelli’s sucRenzi, whom he had supported cessful campaign to be Rome in a 2012 battle to grab the leadmayor in 1993. ership of the Democratic Party. In 2001 he was elected to

Fast forward two years, and parliament with the center-left Renzi has once again pushed Margherita (Daisy) party, Gentiloni forward after resignwhic­h was later folded into the ing from the premiershi­p folbroader Democratic Party. lowing a clear defeat in a Dec 4 In 2006 he was appointed referendum on constituti­onal communicat­ions minister, but reform. his two main reform efforts —

As leader of the largest party to shake up state broadcaste­r in parliament, Renzi had a deciRAI and reform the television sive say in who should replace market — never made it into him, and will have to keeplaw.the new administra­tion alive. CritHis political career ics say he chose the low-key appeared to wane when he Gentiloni to keep control from stood in primaries to become behind the scenes. the center-left candidate for

“A cast-iron Renzi supporter Rome mayor in 2012, only to with little charisma ... and finish a distant third. But Renabove all expendable,” Alessanzi’s unexpected call in 2014 dro Di Battista, a leading light propelled him back into the in the main opposition party, cabinet.

He could be prime minister for a few months without endangerin­g Renzi.”

Alessandro Di Battista,

Movement

5-Star

the 5-Star Movement, wrote on Facebook in reference to Gentiloni.

“He could be prime minister for a few months without endangerin­g Renzi, who could prepare himself for a comeback.”

Mainstream politics

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