Italian ‘grand coalition’ government sworn in

Rome. A new Italian government has been sworn in at the presidential Quirinale Palace in Rome.Democratic Party Deputy Leader (PD), Enrico Letta, becomes prime minister at the head of a “grand coalition” including Silvio Berlusconi’s People of Freedom party (PDL).The swearing-in signals the end of two months of political deadlock. Away from the ceremony, outside the PM’s office, two police officers were injured in a shooting incident. One was shot in the neck and is described as being in a serious condition. The second suffered a serious wound to the leg. A pregnant woman was also slightly hurt. A man, named as Luigi Preiti, has been arrested.Prosecutors said he had confessed to targeting politicians, angry that he had lost his job. Rome Prosecutor Pierfilippo Laviani said he “wanted to shoot politicians, but given that he couldn’t reach any, he shot the Carabinieri”.The Mayor of Rome Gianni Alemanno said: “It’s not an act of terrorism but certainly the [political] climate of the past few months has not helped.”Since February’s inconclusive poll there has been political stalemate in Italy, which is still plagued by economic woes after becoming one of the first eurozone victims of the global financial crisis of 2008.The shooting happened about a kilometre (mile) away from the swearing-in ceremony, where, beginning with Mr Letta, the 21 new government ministers stepped forward one by one to receive the oath of office from President Giorgio Napolitano.Correspondents say the “grand coalition” between Italy’s current main right- and left-wing parties is unprecedented, and will probably prove an uneasy alliance.Mr Berlusconi will not be a minister but had pushed for leading figures from his party to be given top posts. Mr Alfano, the PDL’s secretary and one of Mr Berlusconi’s closest political allies, is deputy prime minister as well as interior minister in the new government.Among the other key appointments are Bank of Italy director general Fabrizio Saccomanni to head the powerful economy ministry.The cabinet is to have more women than usual, including former European Commissioner Emma Bonino as foreign minister.Other women given government jobs include Olympic kayaker Josefa Idem who becomes minister of equal opportunity and sports, and Anna Maria Cancellieri at the ministry of justice.