RENZI GOVERNMENT TO HAVE 16 PEOPLE, HALF WOMEN
By Sandra Cordon
21 febbraio, 21:07
(ANSA) - Rome, February 21 - Premier-in-waiting Matteo Renzi
announced Friday that his new cabinet would be made up of 16
ministers, half of whom are women - the first time parity
between the sexes has been achieved in an Italian executive.Pier Carlo Padoan, chief economist of the OECD, was named Italy's economy minister, to lead the slimmed-down cabinet where the average age is 47 - older than the 39-year-old Renzi, Italy's youngest premier.
Another key member of cabinet, on a list presented by Renzi to President Giorgio Napolitano, is Angelino Alfano, leader of the junior government partner, the New Centre Right (NCD). Alfano said he was "happy" to remain as interior minister and agreed to drop the deputy premier portfolio in a cabinet that boasts more than one-quarter fewer members compared with that of Renzi's precedessor, Enrico Letta, who had 21 ministers when he formed government 10 months ago.
Among Renzi's ministers are a few holdovers from Letta's cabinet, including Beatrice Lorenzin (NCD) as health minister; Maurizio Lupi (NCD) in infrastructure and transport; Dario Franceschini (PD), who will move to the culture portfolio from relations with parliament; and Andrea Orlando (PD), who moves from environment to the justice portfolio.
Graziano Delrio will serve as cabinet under-secretary, a powerful position as he will serve as Renzi's right-hand man.
The newcomers include Marianna Madia as minister of simplification and, along with Maria Elena Boschi, minister of reform and parliamentary relations, are the youngest in cabinet at 33 years of age.
Other rookie ministers include Federica Mogherini as the new foreign minister; Stefania Giannini, in education; Federica Guidi as economic development minister; Roberta Pinotti in the defence portfolio; Maria Carmela Lanzetta in regional affairs and Giuliano Poletti as minister of labour and welfare. Maurizio Martina becomes agriculture minister and Gianluca Galletti takes over the environment portfolio.
A number of Letta ministers did not make the cut including Emma Bonino, outgoing foreign minister who said she would be making her farewells to many friends.
Cecile Kyenge, Italy's first black cabinet minister and a Letta appointee, did not keep her post as Integration minister. Padoan, a technocrat rather than politician, is a former economics professor in Rome has been deputy secretary-general of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) since June 2007. Renzi will present his cabinet to parliament early next week for confidence votes.
He faced several conditions in creating his cabinet from junior partner the New Centre Right (NCD).
Alfano, a political veteran, helped to form the NCD as a group of centre-right moderates who split from ex-premier Silvio Berlusconi's revived Forza Italia (FI) party when it rejected the ex-premier's bid to scupper Letta after the PD insisted on a Senate ban for the media magnate following a tax-fraud conviction late last year.
A few more details of the newcomers to cabinet: Foreign Affairs - Federica Mogherini (Pd) was first elected to parliament in 2008 and sits on committees including foreign affairs and defence.
Defence - Roberta Pinotti (Pd) is a Senator, former undersecretary of defence, and has served in parliament since 2001 where she promoted a ban on cluster bombs.
Economic Development - Federica Guidi is a former president of the Young Entrepreneurs of Confindustria, an industrial employers association.
Agriculture - Maurizio Martina (Pd) was undersecretary of agriculture in Letta's government.
Environment - Gianluca Galletti of the Union of the Centre (UDC) was a secretary of state for education in Letta's government.
Employment and social policies - Giuliano Poletti has worked in local government in his native Imola, and has no party affiliation.
Education, universities and research - Stefania Giannini of the ex-premier Mario Monti's Civic Choice (Sc) party is a former professor of languages and academic.
Reforms and relations with parliament - Maria Elena Boschi (Pd) is a practicing lawyer from Florence.
Simplification - Marianna Madia (Pd) is one of the youngest cabinet ministers at 33.
Regional Affairs - Maria Carmela Lanzetta (Pd) former mayor of Monasterace in Calabria where she made a name standing up to 'Ndrangheta mafia figures.
