Italy's first woman Premier Meloni vows 'to serve with pride'

(ANSA) - ROME, OCT 22 - Brothers of Italy (FdI) leader Giorgia Meloni was sworn in as Italy's first woman premier before President Sergio Mattarella on Saturday.
    Meloni takes over the helm of government from Mario Draghi after her FdI spearheaded the right-wing coalition to victory in last month's general election, winning around 26% of the vote on its own.
    The 45-year-old Roman's 24-strong cabinet, which features only six women ministers, was also sworn in.
    "Here is the government team that will serve Italy with pride and a sense of responsibility," Meloni said, posting a photo of her cabinet after it was sworn in.
    "Now straight down to work".
    Meloni has been involved in politics since she was an activist for the non-defunct right-wing MSI group in her teens.
    A political high-flier, she became Italy's youngest ever minister when she took on the role of youth minister at the age of 31 in ex-premier Silvio Berlusconi's 2008-2011 government.
    In 2012 she co-founded the right-wing Brothers of Italy (FdI) party.
    FdI won only around 4% of the vote at the 2018 election.
    But, after being the only major group not to back Draghi's government of national unity, the party has become the lead player in the right-wing alliance that also features Berlusconi's Forza Italia and the League of new Deputy Premier and Infrastructure Minister Matteo Salvini.
    After the ceremony Salvini posted a photo of himself with Meloni with a message that read: "five years together to change Italy".
    The traditional bell-ringing ceremony in which Draghi will hand over the baton of government to Meloni will take place on Sunday.
    After that Meloni will preside over her first cabinet meeting.
    (ANSA).