Giuseppe Conte was sworn in as prime minister of Italy’s new populist government today after a last-ditch coalition deal ended months of political deadlock and narrowly avoided snap elections in the eurozone’s third largest economy.

Conte, an academic and political novice, will head a government of ministers from the anti-establishment Five Star Movement (M5S) and the far-right League Party. The first populist coalition in a founding EU member has raised concerns in some European quarters.

The 53-year-old was sworn in alongside his cabinet, which will see M5S leader Luigi Di Maio and League chief Matteo Salvini in key ministerial posts.

After weeks of political drama that had at one stage seemed certain to lead to new elections, President Sergio Mattarella named political novice Conte as prime minister for the second time in less than a fortnight and approved his revised cabinet.

Conte had abandoned his original mandate as PM on Sunday after Mattarella vetoed eurosceptic Paolo Savona as economy minister, prompting the collapse the Five Star-League joint government deal collapsed.

But in a surprise twist, the populists resurrected the coalition talks and Conte eventually accepted a new mandate for the premiership. He presented Mattarella with a revised list of ministers – with Savona moved to EU Affairs – that the head of state quickly accepted.

Italian media reported that the lineup will face a vote of confidence on Monday or Tuesday in both houses of parliament, which it is almost certain to win thanks to the populists’ combined majority. </s> Giuseppe Conte was sworn in as prime minister of Italy’s new populist government Friday after a last-ditch coalition deal ended months of political deadlock and narrowly avoided snap elections in the euro zone’s third largest economy.

Conte, an academic and political novice, will head a government of ministers from the anti-establishment Five Star Movement (M5S) and the far-right League party.

The first populist coalition in a founding member nation of the European Union has raised concerns in some European quarters.

The 53-year-old was sworn in along with his cabinet, which will place M5S leader Luigi Di Maio and League chief Matteo Salvini in key ministerial posts.

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After weeks of political drama that at one stage seemed certain to lead to new elections, President Sergio Mattarella named Conte, a political novice, as prime minister for the second time in less than a fortnight and approved his revised cabinet.

Conte had abandoned his original mandate as prime minister on Sunday after Mattarella vetoed Paolo Savona as economy minister because of his hostility to the euro, prompting the collapse of the Five Star-League joint government deal.

But in a surprise twist, the populists resurrected the coalition talks and Conte eventually accepted a new mandate for the premiership.

European Union chiefs must make Italy more welcome or risk deeper crisis

He presented Mattarella with a revised list of ministers – with Savona moved to EU Affairs – that the head of state quickly accepted.

Italian media reported that the line-up will face a vote of confidence on Monday or Tuesday in both houses of parliament, which it is almost certain to win thanks to the populists’ combined majority. </s> ROME: Italian Prime Minister-designate Giuseppe Conte has failed to form a coalition government and resigned after President Sergio Mattarella vetoed his choice of economy minister.

Conte and Mattarella had met on Sunday to discuss officials selected by the anti-establishment 5 Star Movement and the rightist League to comprise the new government cabinet for Italy, which has been without a government for 84 days, reports Efe news.

The coalition had wanted to place 81-year-old economist Paolo Savona in charge of Italy's economy, although the former industry minister has been a key figure in questioning Italy's participation in the eurozone and the budgetary restrictions the European Union requires of its members.

Mattarella expressed his doubts about Savona although the 5 Star Movement and the League refused to back down from their choice, thus creating a standoff, given that Italy's president must approve a government's ministerial picks.

Mattarella ultimately refused to back the so-called "euroskeptic" for the economy portfolio.

In response, the 5 Star Movement chief Luigi di Maio announced that the party will launch within Parliament a move to oust Mattarella for having impeded the formation of the government by vetoing Savona and refusing to sign the list of ministers presented by the coalition.

Mattarella's decision sparked an unprecedented institutional crisis, with strong opposition being mounted by the 5 Star Movement and the League, which garnered more than 50 per cent of the votes in the March 4 national elections.

Other political forces, however, citing his constitutional presidential prerogatives to protect Italian markets and savers, have rallied to Mattarella's defence.

Conte, a law professor who had been named as the coalition's prime minister, resigned, telling reporters that he "gave the maximum effort, attention, to carry out this task with the full collaboration" of both the 5 Star Movement and League. </s> Italy to have first populist government as Giuseppe Conte asked to be prime minister again

Italy's president has tapped politically inexperienced law professor Giuseppe Conte to be the man who will head Italy's first populist government.

Italy's anti-establishment parties revived their coalition plans, ending three months of political turmoil by announcing a government that promises to increase spending, challenge European Union fiscal rules and crack down on immigration.

The coalition deal, following inconclusive elections in March, removes the risk of a repeat vote, a prospect that had sparked a big selloff in Italian financial markets this week.

The leaders of the right-wing League and the 5-Star Movement patched up their alliance after agreeing to substitute a eurosceptic they had initially proposed as economy minister, a nomination that had been rejected by the head of state.

"All the conditions have been fulfilled for a political, 5-Star and League government," 5-Star chief Luigi Di Maio and League leader Matteo Salvini said in a joint statement after several hours of talks in central Rome.

Just a few hours later their chosen prime minister Mr Conte, a little-known law professor who belongs to neither party and has not been elected, presented his list of ministers after receiving his second mandate in eight days.

"We will work with determination to improve the quality of life of all Italians," Mr Conte told reporters at the presidential palace after meeting the head of state Sergio Mattarella.

Mr Salvini will be the interior minister and Mr Di Maio will take a powerful, newly-created joint ministry made up of the labour and industry portfolios.

Both leaders will also be deputy prime ministers and many commentators have forecast that Mr Conte will have a tough time proving he can be more than a puppet in the hands of his powerful political sponsors.

His ministers will be sworn in on Friday before the government faces votes of confidence in both houses next week.

The deal followed an extraordinary few days in which Mr Di Maio called for Mr Mattarella to be impeached, Mr Conte and another prime minister-designate were tasked to form a government and failed, before Mr Conte was reinstated on Thursday evening.

Mr Mattarella even took the step of appointing former International Monetary Fund official Carlo Cottarelli as an interim prime minister until a re-election.

The breakthrough came after the League and 5-Star agreed to drop economist Paolo Savona as their choice for economy minister.

Mr Savona, an 81-year-old economist, had said previously that Italy should have a contingency plan to abandon the euro.

He will be substituted by economics professor Giovanni Tria, another little-known figure.

Mr Savona will be in government as European affairs minister, a less powerful role but one which will still allow him to negotiate with Brussels and speak on EU issues.

No sooner had the coalition deal been announced than friction flared with Brussels over remarks by European Commission chief Jean-Claude Juncker about Italy's impoverished south. </s> Giuseppe Conte, Italy's prime minister-designate, has abandoned his mandate to form a new government, the presidential palace has said.

The announcement on Sunday came after a meeting between Conte and Italian President Sergio Mattarella to discuss a proposed list of cabinet members, in what would have been Italy's first populist government.

Earlier on Sunday, it was reported Mattarella had rejected the eurosceptic candidacy of Paolo Savona for the post of minister of economy. </s> MILAN (Reuters) - Italy’s Prime Minister-designate Giuseppe Conte has given up on efforts to form a government, a top official in President Sergio Mattarella’s office said on Sunday.

The comments were read out following a meeting between Conte and Mattarella to discuss the list of cabinet candidates the would-be coalition partners, the far-right League and the anti-establishment 5-Star Movement, were proposing.

Earlier on Sunday a source said Mattarella had rejected the name of Paolo Savona, the eurosceptic candidate whom the League/5-Star coalition had put forward to head the Economy Ministry. </s> Giuseppe Conte, a law professor who has never before held political office, was sworn in as Italy’s new Prime Minister on Friday, heading a populist new government whose senior figures have expressed anti-immigrant and eurosceptic views. Conte presented his list of ministers to President Sergio Mattarella for the second time in a week, after his choice for economy minister had been rejected by Mattarella. Both Conte and Mattarella agreed on a pro-Europe minister, and the former candidate for minister was demoted to the less high-profile role of Europe affairs minister.

After months of political turmoil and four days of uncertainty that echoed all throughout the European Union, Italy finally has a new administration. But the problems are not over. Racial and economic resentment led Italians to vote far-right and populist parties into parliament. The Five Star Movement and The League parties then formed a coalition which now effectively controls most of the Italian government.

The leaders of both parties catered to anti-immigrant and euro-skeptic sentiments and the new administration is likely to be met with alarm by French president Emmanuel Macron and German chancellor Angela Merkel, who both favor a stronger and more integrated Europe.

Reuters news agency quoted Mr. Conte as saying, “We will work intensely to realize our political objectives which we have already put together in our government contract.” He also pledged to “work with determination to improve the lives of all Italians.” </s> Image copyright AFP Image caption Giuseppe Conte (L) presented a new list of ministers to President Sergio Mattarella

A coalition government has been agreed in Italy, ending months of uncertainty in the EU's fourth-biggest economy.

Prime Minister-designate Giuseppe Conte presented his list of ministers to President Sergio Mattarella for the second time in a week and the new government will be sworn in on Friday.

Ministers are drawn from both the anti-establishment Five Star (M5S) and the right-wing League.

Attempts to form a technocratic government had failed.

Mr Mattarella rejected Mr Conte's original choice for economy minister but a different candidate was agreed on Thursday.

Conflict with EU not over

Analysis by BBC's James Reynolds in Rome

Four days of political and constitutional crisis are over. And a new populist government - led by law professor Giuseppe Conte - will now be sworn in.

Image copyright AFP Image caption Aiming to rule: The Five Star Movement's Luigi Di Maio (left) and the League's Matteo Salvini

In the end, the populist parties decided to back down and accept the president's veto of their original choice of a eurosceptic economy minister.

Their newly chosen minister, Giovanni Tria, is in favour of Italy's continued membership of the single currency.

But the populists' conflict with the EU is not entirely over. The M5S and the League have promised both new welfare spending and also tax cuts - which may run into conflict with the EU's spending rules.

League leader Matteo Salvini will be the interior minister. He has promised a tough new policy on migration, which may provoke arguments within Europe.

What deal was reached?

After meeting President Mattarella, Mr Conte confirmed reports that the new candidate for the key economy minister post would be economics professor Giovanni Tria.

M5S leader Luigi Di Maio and Mr Salvini said in a brief joint statement: "All the conditions have been met for a M5S-League government."

Image copyright EPA Image caption Paolo Savona will enter government after all - but not as economy minister

Other notable appointments to the new cabinet include:

Interior and Deputy Prime Minister: Matteo Salvini (League)

Industry and Deputy Prime Minister: Luigi Di Maio (M5S)

Foreign: Enzo Moavero Milanesi (independent, ex-European Affairs minister)

Defence: Elisabetta Trenta (M5S)

European affairs: Paolo Savona (independent), the controversial original choice for finance

"We will work intensely to realise our political objectives which we have already put together in our government contract," Mr Conte was quoted as saying by the Reuters news agency.

The new government is expected to be sworn in later on Friday.

After the ceremony, it will face confidence votes in both chambers of parliament, where the M5S and the League have a majority.

Italy is no stranger to political turmoil - it has had 64 governments since World War Two.

Mr Conte is taking over from Paolo Gentiloni, who led a coalition cabinet for two years.

How did we get here?

4 March: 5-Star wins 32% of the vote in the general election, with the League taking 18%.

The two populist parties eventually attempt to form a coalition, putting forward Mr Conte, a political novice, as prime minister.

28 May: Mr Conte presents his cabinet list to President Mattarella who vetoes the choice of Mr Savona as finance minister on the grounds that he is a eurosceptic. Mr Conte bows out. Both parties are furious and Mr Di Maio calls on parliament to impeach Mr Mattarella. The president asks ex-IMF economist Carlo Cottarelli to form a technocratic government until fresh elections can be held.

Image copyright EPA Image caption Carlo Cottarelli (left) was President Sergio Mattarella's choice for interim PM

30 May: Mr Cottarelli appears to suspend his own efforts to form an interim administration as Five Star and the League engage in new talks.

31 May: Mr Conte returns to the president with a new cabinet list, which is accepted. </s> Image copyright Getty Images Image caption Giuseppe Conte has faced allegations of inflating his CV

Italy's President Sergio Mattarella has accepted a political novice as prime minister, paving the way for two populist parties to form a government.

The anti-establishment Five Star Movement and right-wing League chose law professor Giuseppe Conte in a bid to end 11 weeks of political deadlock.

The 53-year-old has faced claims that he embellished his CV, which he denies.

Concerns remain over the two parties, which reject years of EU austerity and want to renegotiate Italy's debt.

Speaking after emerging from talks with the president, Mr Conte said: "Outside of this palace there's a country that rightfully awaits a new government and answers. What is about to be born is the government of change."

He added that he would be the "defender of all Italians on the international and European stage".

Italy has been without a government since elections on 4 March, because no political group could form a majority.

Two populist party leaders, Luigi di Maio of the Five Star Movement and Matteo Salvini of the League, finally agreed a coalition deal after days of talks and later nominated Mr Conte as their candidate to be prime minister.

The coalition deal promises tax cuts, a guaranteed basic income for the poor and deportations of 500,000 migrants - policies that are likely to put the eurozone's third biggest economy on a collision course with Brussels.

Mr Conte will now form a list of ministers to be approved by the president before a new government can be sworn in. The cabinet will then face a vote of confidence in parliament.

Image copyright AFP Image caption Populists poised to govern: Five Star Movement's Luigi Di Maio (L) and League's Matteo Salvini

Who is Giuseppe Conte?

Fifty-three-year-old Mr Conte, a professor of private law in Florence and Rome, is not an elected MP and until now has been completely unknown in politics. Since his nomination, he has been accused of inflating his academic resume in an effort to boost his international profile.

On a CV dating back to 2013, he said he had "perfected his legal studies" at New York University, but a spokeswoman for the institution said there was no record of him having studied there.

The resume also said he had carried out "scientific research" at Cambridge University's Girton College in 2001 - a spokeswoman for the university said it could not confirm or deny his claim citing data protection laws.

Mr Conte also said he had worked on his legal studies at the International Kultur Institut in Vienna, Austria. The school - which was misspelt on the CV - is in fact a language school and does not appear to offer legal courses.

The Five Star Movement defended its nominee on Tuesday, saying that Mr Conte had never claimed to have earned degrees abroad, but "went abroad to study, to deepen his knowledge, to perfect his English legal language skills".

It added: "The defamatory campaign is so explicit and crude that it will only strengthen us."

The Five Star Movement and The League named Mr Conte for the role of prime minister on Monday. Instead of immediately accepting the nomination, Mr Mattarella took some time to decide, as concerns rose in Italy over Mr Conte's lack of experience and questions over his CV.

He has also faced controversy over unpaid taxes and fines of over €50,000 (£44,000, $51,000).

With the president's green light it is now up for the parliament to decide on the coalition. The two parties have sufficient votes in the Chamber of Deputies, but only a small majority in the upper house, the Senate.

What do the parties want?

Italy was ravaged by the 2008 financial crisis that left the economy some 6% smaller and three million more people in poverty.

The policies promised by the parties are estimated to cost at least €100bn ($117bn; £88bn), experts say, for a country with the biggest public debt in the EU after Greece.

Other proposals include:

Poor families will get a €780 basic monthly income, provided recipients actively seek work

Two "flat tax" rates set at 15% and 20%, and families would receive a €3,000 annual tax deduction based on household income

Scrapping sales and excise tax increases next year, worth €12.5bn

Neither Five Star nor The League are fans of the single currency, the euro. League leader Matteo Salvini said not long ago that the euro was "a mistake" for Italy's economy, while Five Star had wanted a referendum on Italy's future membership.

But they have dropped their initial ambition of exit from the euro and now talk of trying to reform it from within.
Giuseppe Conte is sworn in as the new Prime Minister of Italy at the head of a populist coalition, formed by the Five Star Movement and the Northern League. Conte had previously given up on trying to form a government after President Sergio Mattarella had vetoed Conte's original choice for Minister of Finance, but a different candidate was agreed to yesterday.