One wants to make progress as quickly as possible, says Giorgia Meloni in the morning about her legal alliance. In the afternoon she is Italy’s first female prime minister, with the help of two old acquaintances.

The head of the post-fascist Fratelli d’Italia (FDI), Giorgia Meloni, has been appointed Italy’s first female prime minister. Meloni was commissioned by President Sergio Mattarella in Rome to form a government, his office said.

The party leader accepted the order and presented her list of ministers. Giancarlo Giorgetti from the right-wing Lega party, who was already a member of Meloni’s predecessor Mario Draghi’s cabinet, is to become Minister for Economic Affairs. The 55-year-old is considered a moderate and pro-European representative of the right-wing populist League.

Meloni’s minister and she are due to be sworn in at the palace on Saturday morning at 10am ahead of a vote of confidence in Parliament next week.

In the morning, Meloni was in the presidential palace for consultations with the party and faction leaders of the conservative Forza Italia and the right-wing populist League. Afterwards, surrounded by Forza Italia founder Silvio Berlusconi and Lega boss Matteo Salvini, she explained that the legal alliance was ready and wanted to move forward as quickly as possible.

The Fratelli won the election at the end of September and have since held an absolute majority in both chambers of parliament with Forza Italia, the Lega and the splinter party Noi Moderati.