A populist government will be sworn into power in Italy on Friday after president Sergio Mattarella agreed to a revised slate of ministers - just days after a bitter row over the incoming leaders’ stance on the euro ended their initial bid to assume power. The rightwing Brothers of Italy Party (FdI) may form a coalition government with the far-right League party and the populist Five-Star Movement and FdI's leader Giorgio Meloni could become defence minister - if League chief Matteo Salvini agrees to give up his eurosceptic pick of finance minister, League sources told Adnkronos on Thursday. The two leaders, Luigi Di Maio of the 5-Stars and Matteo Salvini of the League, announced after meeting at the parliament that they had reached an agreement to form a political government — an outcome that avoids an interim, technical government and a swift return to the polls. Italy needs to work harder and be less corrupt: Juncker

After weeks of political drama that at one stage seemed certain to lead to new elections, President Sergio Mattarella named Conte, a political novice, as prime minister for the second time in less than a fortnight and approved his revised cabinet.
Giuseppe Conte is sworn in as the new Prime Minister of Italy at the head of a populist coalition, formed by the Five Star Movement and the Northern League. Conte had previously given up on trying to form a government after President Sergio Mattarella had vetoed Conte's original choice for Minister of Finance, but a different candidate was agreed to yesterday.