PM-designate unveils cabinet of new Italian gov't

Italy's prime minister-designate Mario Monti on Wednesday unveiled the list of ministers for his emergency government aimed at saving the country from the European debt crisis. "I am confident in my choice, and I wish markets will do the same," Monti said at a press conference after an over two-hour meeting with President Giorgio Napolitano at which he formally accepted the mandate and presented the list of new ministers. Monti, a 68-year-old unelected and highly respected economist, formed a team of 12 technocrats (including himself and three women) who will be responsible for implementing the austerity policies requested by the European Union (EU) to ward off a dramatic debt-driven financial crisis. There are no figures linked to any political party in the cabinet, which was seen by Monti as a guarantee of stability. According the list of new government, Monti will act as interim Finance minister. He named Corrado Passera, CEO of Intesa Sanpaolo bank, as the economic development minister, and Italian Ambassador to the United States Giulio Maria Terzi di Sant'Agata as foreign minister. President of the Antitrust Authority Antonio Catricala was named as the Council of Ministers' undersecretary, while Admiral Giampaolo Di Paola, the chairman of NATO's Military Committee, will be the defence minister. Prefectorial Commissary Anna Maria Cancellieri will be the interior minister, while lawyer and vice rector of Rome-based LUISS University Paola Severino was named as the justice minister. Catholic University's head Lorenzo Ornaghi will be the culture minister, while a public manager Mario Catania will be the agriculture minister, and Corrado Clini, a surgeon and the United Nations and European Environment Agency's collaborator will be the environment minister. Francesco Profumo, the rector of Turin Polytechnic Institute, was named as the education minister, while Elsa Fornero, an economics professor at Turin University, was named as the labor and social policies minister. Renato Balduzzi, the president of the National Agency for Regional Health Services, will be the health minister. Monti also expressed hope that his technocrat government would last until the spring of 2013, when the next elections are due, and his confidence in "Italy's ability to overcome this difficult phase." The new prime minister, who was appointed by the president on Sunday after Silvio Berlusconi resigned on Saturday, had several intensive meetings on Monday and Tuesday with representatives of political parties as well as of industrial and trade unions and youth and women's groups and won broad support from them. "The efforts of professor Monti are destined to have a good result," Angelino Alfano, leader of Berlusconi's center-right People of Freedom Party (PdL) was quoted as saying by ANSA news agency after a nearly two-hour meeting with Monti. The leader of the main center-left opposition Democratic Party (PD) Pier Luigi Bersani said that the PD "will give its full and confident support to Monti's authoritative technocrat government." "The premier-designate expressed to us his will to carry on reforms aimed at enhancing the country's growth," said Susanna Camusso, secretary-general of Italy's largest trade union Cgil (the General Confederation of Italian Workers). She also called for the new government to introduce efficient industrial policies and reduce work precariousness. President of industrial employers' association Confindustria Emma Marcegaglia said that the creation of Monti's government represented a "last chance to restore Italy's credibility" on financial markets.