Italian Prime Minister Mario Monti and his newly formed government's ministers were sworn in at the presidential palace on Wednesday, ending Silvio Berlusconi's 17-year-long political hegemony.
The new 12-minister Cabinet includes no politicians. It instead comprises of businessmen, diplomats and bankers tasked with saving Italy from a deepening economic downturn.
Apart from occupying the premier’s post, Monti will also serve as economy minister.
Monti said that he hoped that “by governing well, we can make a contribution to the calming and the cohesion of political forces.”
He also said that “the non-presence of politicians in the government would help.”
Monti, an ex-EU commissioner, was appointed as Italy’s prime minister on Sunday after the resignation of the 75-year-old Silvio Berlusconi, who stepped down after parliament approved new austerity measures demanded by the European Union to help trim Italy’s massive 1.9-trillion-euro debt.
