Italy's new Renzi government is also young
ROME (AP) — Matteo Renzi became Italy's youngest premier on Saturday, promising a new era of stable government after using old-school politicking to engineer the ouster of a fellow Democrat he deemed too timid to get the nation back to work.
Chief challenge for his broad coalition is the ailing economy, only just beginning to show signs of rebounding after several years of stagnation and with youth unemployment hovering around at 40 percent. The unabashedly ambitious Renzi, 39, quit his post as Florence mayor to take up his first national government job.
He has vowed to push electoral reforms through Parliament in hopes of ending chronic political instability by reducing the influence of Italy's tiny parties.
Renzi tweeted before being sworn in that it be "tough" but "we'll do it."
He first must win confidence votes in Parliament next week. That's not easy, since he angered many in his Democratic Party when he maneuvered to oust Enrico Letta as premier. Renzi broke his promise to Letta that he would wait until eventual elections to gain the premiership.
The usual easy-going Letta gave Renzi a chilly, limp handshake during a handover ceremony that lasted some 20 seconds. Letta didn't smile at his betrayer, who forced a wan smile, and neither Democrat looked each other in the eyes.
Democrats are the main coalition partner. Renzi's coalition also depends on smaller parties ranging from center-right to center-left which were part of Letta's oft-bickering 10-month-old coalition.
Some centrists indicated they might not back Renzi in parliament after his new Cabinet left out their only minister, who had held the defense post. In a surprise move, Renzi also purged veteran politician Emma Bonino, a staunchly pro-Europe foreign minister.
In his rush to become premier, Renzi has said little about Italy's relationship with the European Union, except to say overemphasis on austerity measures ordered by Brussels would discourage economic revival.
One of the few non-political appointees, Economy Minister Pier Carlo Padoan, missed the swearing-in. Padoan, until now the Organization of Economic Cooperation and Development's chief economist, was in Australia when tapped on Friday.
