Italy creates Ministry for Ecological Transition

(ANSA) - ROME, FEB 26 - Premier Mario Draghi's cabinet on Friday created a new ministry, the Ministry for Ecological Transition.
    The anti-establishment 5-Star Movement (M5S) pushed hard for the creation of the ministry, tasked with engineering the transition towards making the Italian economy environmentally sustainable, during talks on the formation of Draghi's broadly backed new executive.
    "It is a promise we made the citizens to render the country's industrial policy in synch with the European Green New Deal," said Agriculture Minister and M5S lawmaker Stefano Patuanelli.
    He said that many of the responsibilities for energy policy that previously belonged to the industry ministry had been transferred to the new ministry.
    The Minister for Ecological Transition is Roberto Cingolani, one of the eight non-political technocrats in Draghi's 23-strong cabinet.
    Another M5S bigwig, Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio, hailed the move as "an important result for the country".
    "Ecological transition does not just mean the environment and green issues," Di Maio said via Facebook.
    "We will totally revise the concept of labour and business and we will open an innovative, modern road that will lead us to being much more competitive".
    Di Maio said the transition will also deliver new jobs. (ANSA).