Italy MPs elect judge Sergio Mattarella as president
Baku, January 31 AZERTAC
Italy's parliament has elected constitutional court judge Sergio Mattarella as the country's president.
Mr Mattarella, 73, will succeed Giorgio Napolitano, 89, who stood down earlier this month citing "signs of fatigue".
The result, confirmed on a third day of voting, will be seen as a boost for Prime Minister Matteo Renzi, who nominated Mr Mattarella.
Italy's president is largely a ceremonial role, but includes the power to appoint a prime minister.
That power is one quite frequently invoked in Italy, where politics is famously volatile.
Mr Napolitano named five prime ministers during his eight-and-a-half-years in office.
Mr Mattarella was elected after three inconclusive rounds of voting, in which no candidate secured the two-thirds majority needed to win.
Saturday's fourth round required merely a simple majority of the 1,009 eligible voters to produce a result.
Applause broke out in the Chamber of Deputies as Mr Mattarella's vote passed the 505-vote threshold.
He is expected to be sworn in next week.
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