Gorgio Meloni became first female Italy’s far-right premier since the end of World War II. She was sworn in on Saturday after winning the majority.
Meloni has been the favorite to win since the pre-polls, she took the oath of office before the Italian president at the presidential palace.
Her government, the 12th this century, took over from a national unity administration piloted by former European Central Bank chief Mario Draghi, who was at the forefront of European Union efforts to sanction Russia after it invaded Ukraine in February.
Although, she has her opposition, Meloni revealed her team on Friday, giving five ministries each to the League and Forza Italia and reserving nine cabinet posts for her own party.
European Commission leaders in Brussels sent her messages of congratulations on Saturday.
“”I count on and look forward to constructive cooperation with the new government on the challenges we face together,” Commission President Ursula von der Leyen wrote on Twitter.
“Congratulations Giorgia Meloni on the formation of your government! Big day for the European Right!” Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban wrote on Twitter.
“All over Europe, patriots are coming to power, ” French far-right leader Marine Le Pen tweeted.
Meloni grew up in the working-class Roman neighborhood of Garbatella, a historically left-wing part of southern Rome that was built during Benito Mussolini’s fascist dictatorship.
She went on to create her own political party, Brothers of Italy, which in just four years went from taking 4% of the vote to winning 26% in last month’s election
Gorgio has a big task on her hands. With the skyrocketing cost of energy, the risk for Italian businesses and households is high.