European Commission President-elect Ursula von der Leyen said Tuesday that she has chosen Italy's Paolo Gentiloni to be the EU's next economic affairs commissioner.
The former centre-left premier and former foreign minister is set to be the first Italian to hold this position.
The nomination must be ratified by the European Parliament.
"I thank President Ursula Von der Leyen for the position she has assigned me in the new Commission," the former Italian premier said.
"I will work, above all, to contribute to boosting growth and social and environmental sustainability of that growth. "It's a major role at a crucial time for the future of the European economy.
"I will try to honour Italy and the government that proposed me, working in the interest of all European citizens". Von der Leyen said that her team will have good balance with Gentiloni working with Vice-President Valdis Dombrovskis. "Gentiloni was chosen for the economy because of his great experience," she said.
"I am sure that this will give good balance to the portfolio in an intelligent combination of different points of view with Dombrovskis, who he will work with". League leader Matteo Salvini, meanwhile, blasted Premier Giuseppe Conte's decision to propose Gentiloni as Italy's nominee for the new European Commission. "Gentiloni's nomination confirms that Conte made a pact with the devil, with (Angela) Merkel and (Emmanuel) Macron," Salvini told a press conference in the Senate. Gentiloni's name was forward after the ex-premier's Democratic Party (PD) reached an agreement with the 5-Star Movement (M5S) to support a new government led by Conte after Salvini pulled the plug on the first Conte executive last month.
"They (the M5S) promised to revolutionize the EU," said Salvini.
"Instead they nominated an old PD man".
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