|
 Renzi is expected to meet President Giorgio Napolitano at 4 p.m.
(1000 ET) on Friday to confirm his cabinet list, allowing the
government to be sworn in by the weekend, ahead of a confidence vote
in parliament expected on Monday.
Three separate sources said that Padoan, who has been at the
Paris-based Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development
since 2007, was expected to be named to the key economy minister
post.
Speculation about the make-up of the cabinet has focused
particularly on who will be economy minister, the point person with
the European Central Bank and European Union partners and an
important factor in maintaining foreign investor confidence.
Renzi, who forced out his party rival Enrico Letta last week after
attacking the slow pace of economic reforms, is expected to govern
with the same cross-party alliance as his predecessor but has not
yet sealed a formal coalition accord.
He has sketched out an ambitious agenda, promising to tackle
electoral and constitutional reform, make the labor market and tax
systems more efficient and overhaul the bloated public
administration all within four months.
However, as well as having to deal with the same unwieldy coalition
which hampered Letta, he will also face questions about how he
gained office, which could limit his ability to push through
unpopular reform measures. At 39, he would be Italy's
youngest-ever prime minister, but he would also be the third in a
row to gain office without winning an election, and opinion polls
suggest many Italians are concerned about the lack of a mandate from
voters.
[to top of second column] |
A poll on Friday by the SWG polling institute posted a dip in
support for the PD, to 29.9 percent from 32.2 percent a week
earlier, while support for former Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi's
Forza Italia rose to 21.8 percent from 20 percent.
The survey showed 27 percent saw Renzi as a leader capable of giving
a future to Italy, more than any other potential rival on the list
but still outscored by the 30 percent who picked "none".
Much of the past week has been spent in consultations with other
parties, in particular the small center-right NCD party whose
support he will need for a majority in parliament.
A source in the PD said Renzi had met NCD leader Angelino Alfano
overnight and appeared to have agreed on the future role for Alfano,
who served as deputy prime minister and interior minister under
Letta.
The source said Alfano would give up his position as deputy prime
minister but would remain at the interior ministry.
(Writing by James Mackenzie; editing by Sonya Hepinstall)
[© 2014 Thomson Reuters. All rights
reserved.] Copyright 2014 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published,
broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
 |
