Italy to swear in new government

Italy’s new coalition government is to be sworn in, following a deal among all parties to end a two-month political deadlock.

During the Sunday ceremony in Rome, elected Prime Minister Enrico Letta is expected to be the first to take the oath of office, administered by President Giorgio Napolitano, who chose him after winning the general elections of February.

Letta formed a coalition government on Saturday in which both the left and right have been united. The coalition will face confidence votes in both houses of Italy’s parliament next week.

It is reported that Letta wants to quickly tackle unemployment, which stands at 11.6 percent. Letta will also address the issue of austerity measures that were put into effect by his predecessor Mario Monti.

Political analysts have warned that the Italian coalition government will only last for one-to-two years before squabbling parties break it up and new elections must be held.

According to an official forecast in April, Italy’s debt will rise to 130.4 percent of its gross domestic product in 2013.

Italy is experiencing its worst recession in 20 years. The country’s economy has also been the slowest growing in the eurozone over the past decade.