Renzi given mandate to form Italian government
Italy’s President has asked Matteo Renzi to try to form the country’s next coalition government, putting the mayor of Florence even closer to become the country’s youngest ever prime minister, and making a return to the polls even less likely.
Renzi met with President Giorgio Napolitano for over an hour this morning.
The 39-year old leader of the centre-left Democratic party must now come to agreements with his future coalition partners before being sworn in by the 88-year old Napolitano.
He faces the challenge of winning confidence in both houses of the disputative parliament.
The securing of the mandate comes after a three-year power struggle for Renzi, who has one support across the political spectrum.
Renzi told reporters he expects it’ll take “several days” to form a government, but he’ll work with a “sense of urgency”. He's set to begin formal negotiations with political parties on Wednesday.
He said he’d prioritise constitutional changes, a new electoral law, labour legislation, and tax system and public administration reforms.