The government on Friday named
42 undersecretaries ending days of sometimes heated discussions.
Senior government partner the anti-establishment 5-Star
Movement (M5S) gets 21 undersecretaries while junior partner the
centre-left Democratic Party (PD) gets 18, government sources
said.
The other government components, the tiny leftwing Free and
Equal (LeU) party and the Italians abroad group MAIE get two and
one respectively.
The M5S will also have an advantage in terms of deputy
ministers with six compared to the PD's four.
Only 14 of the 42 are women.
Government sources voiced satisfaction that an agreement had
been found on the undersecretaries.
Both the M5S and the PD said they were satisfied with the
number of officials they had obtained.
"Now we're ready to give our utmost," said M5S leader and
Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio.
"The government team is complete, ready to give its all for
the country!," he said.
"On Monday the new team will be sworn in which will be
composed of 21 exponents of the 5-Star Movement, and six of
these will be deputy ministers. For us that means: a lot of work
to do and greater responsibility. We are ready!"
Premier Giuseppe Conte said "the acceleration on the
government team is important because the country is awaiting
responses.
"This team is sufficiently young and amalgamated", said the
premier who confirmed "the new team will be sworn on Monday".
"It's a great team, built to last," said Sports Minister
Vincenzo Spadafora.
But anti-migrant Euroskeptic League party leader Matteo
Salvini said "we've seen a disgraceful divvying up of seats by
the M5S and the PD".
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