Anti-establishment politician Giuseppe Conte sworn in as Italian prime minister at head of new populist government

Conte, a political novice, will head a government of ministers from the anti-establishment Five Star Movement and the far-right League party, a coalition that has raised concerns

Reading Time:1 minute

Italy's newly appointed Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte. Photo: AFP

Published: 11:23pm, 1 Jun 2018Updated: 4:36am, 2 Jun 2018

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.

Italy’s Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte, right, shakes hands with Italy's President Sergio Mattarella at the swearing-in ceremony of the new government in Rome on Friday. Photo: AFP

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.

Italy needs to work harder and be less corrupt: Juncker

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.