Doubts over CV of man in line to be Italy’s next PM

ITALY’S populist Five Star Movement has been forced to defend its pick to be the country’s next prime minister after questions were raised over his CV.

Giuseppe Conte, a law professor, was nominated by Five Star and their coalition partners, The League, as their choice for premier on Monday. Sergio Mattarella, the president, is mulling whether to accept the nomination.

Prof Conte’s CV says he spent at least a month every summer between 2008 and 2012 at New York University, “perfecting and updating” his studies. But a spokesperson for the university told The New York Times: “A person by this name does not show up in any of our records as either a student or faculty member.” She did add that it was conceivable he had attended short courses or programmes lasting one or two days.

Prof Conte also says on his CV that he attended Girton College, Cambridge, in September 2001, where he studied “scientific research”. There is no suggestion that this claim is false.

Prof Conte, who has no political experience, was chosen as a neutral, acceptable compromise candidate.