Italian PM-designate Monti to announce new government on Wednesday

Italian PM-designate Monti to announce new government on Wednesday

2011-11-16 14:55:30 GMT+7 (ICT)

ROME (BNO NEWS) -- Italian Prime Minister-designate Mario Monti is expected to announce a new government on Wednesday, the ANSA news agency reported.

Monti will meet President Giorgio Napolitano to officially take up the challenge of asking Italian political parties to back his emergency reform. Monti, who was recently named Senator for life in the Italian Senate, was appointed on Sunday after Silvio Berlusconi resigned as the country's prime minister a day earlier.

The new government, which the economist and ex-European Union (EU) commissioner has been tasked with leading to steer Italy away from the epicenter of the eurozone's debt crisis, is expected to gain the needed confidence votes in parliament by the end of the week.

Silvio Berlusconi resigned on Saturday evening after economic reforms to appease financial markets were approved. The announcement was greeted with cheers by crowds who had gathered at the presidential palace.

Berlusconi had repeatedly rejected opposition calls for his resignation, despite being hit by numerous sex and corruption scandals as well as local election and referendum defeats.

Berlusconi, who won several parliamentary confidence votes during his term, led Italy as prime minister since May 2008. Before that, he served as prime minister from May 1994 until January 1995 and from June 2001 until May 2006. He also held several positions as minister.

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