ROME (Reuters) - Italy’s new government has put forward former centre-left Democratic Party (PD) premier Paolo Gentiloni to be the next Italian EU Commissioner, a government source said on Thursday.
Gentiloni served as prime minister from 2016 to 2018, and his appointment is widely seen as a move to guarantee smooth ties with Brussels after months of high tensions. A PD source said Gentiloni was expected to get a top economic portfolio.
The new Italian coalition, formed by the anti-establishment 5-Star Movement and the Democratic Party, was sworn into office on Thursday. Italy was the only member of the 28-nation bloc that had yet to put forward a candidate for the commission.
Reporting by Giuseppe Fonte; Writing by Angelo Amante; Editing by Crispian Balmer
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