{{Florence mayor Matteo Renzi is to be nominated Italy’s youngest-ever premier Monday after a daring power grab which has been welcomed by investors but left analysts quizzing whether he has the political maturity to succeed.}}
As head of the leftist Democratic Party, Renzi engineered the ouster of his predecessor Enrico Letta — a member of his own party — accusing him of failing to live up to reform pledges in his stormy 10 months in government.
The 39-year-old will have to move quickly to form a new government once he gets the mandate from President Giorgio Napolitano as expected at 0930 GMT, and then deliver his promise to lead Italy “out of the quagmire”.
“He desperately needs figures of excellence (in the cabinet), new ones if possible,” editorialist Gian Antonio Stella wrote in the best-selling Corriere della Sera daily.
The previous coalition of the Democratic Party, the centrists and the New Centre-Right party is expected to remain intact even though the leader of the latter, Angelino Alfano, has warned this is “not a given”.
The New Centre-Right is a minor partner in the coalition but its votes would be critical for Renzi as he does not have a majority in parliament.
“Speed is part of Renzi’s personality” but “the creation of such a team is no easy task”, political watcher Federico Geremicca said in La Stampa, while the Corriere said the future PM may have underestimated “the nature and complexity of the problems to be resolved.”
If he succeeds in forming the government, Renzi would then have to return to Napolitano for his nomination to be confirmed and would then be sworn into office.
Analysts say the whole process could take a few days.
The energetic and web-savvy Renzi has no previous experience in national government or parliament and is seen by many as having the right kind of outsider credentials for the job.
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