Italy: Matteo Renzi government to have 16 people, half women
Baku, February 23 (AZERTAC). Italy`s incoming Premier Matteo Renzi announced 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.
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