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Rome_The new Italian government, which resulted from a weird association of political forces with little initial points of convergence, was established today under serious questions on its capacity to keep the promises contained in its program, Prensa Latina reports.   

After several weeks of complex negotiations, the 5 Star Movement and the League agreed on 30 items of the program, on which they drew up a 'government contract', although each group will preserve its identity, principles and values as contending forces.

The agreement was welcomed by world-renowned right-wing politicians like Marie Le Pen, from France; Steve Bannon, from the United States, and Nigel Farage, from the United Kingdom.

The president of the French National Front, Marie Le Pen, expressed confidence that Italy will be able to solve 'the immigration problem' and will be strong 'in its relations with the European Union, so that the austerity policies imposed by Brussels stop'.

In statements to the newspaper Corriere della Sera, Le Pen referred to the stance of the coalition, in favor of the lifting of the economic sanctions on Russia, and predicted that Italy 'might be in the vanguard to reestablish normal relations' with Moscow.

According to Bannon, one of the ideologues of the 'anti-system' right wing, the agreement reached between 5 Star Movement and the League is 'an intelligent pact' that shows 'the maturity and political wisdom' of the two leaders, who are 'capable of putting their personal ambitions aside for the good of their country'.

The former aide to U.S. President Donald Trump predicted in an interview with La Stampa that with the new government, Italy will assume the anti-system leadership in Europe and for the first time, Brussels will have to negotiate with a government' of that kind and a founding country of the European Union.

In similar terms, Farage, the leader of the movement that promoted the UK's exit from the EU, told the Turin-based newspaper that the results of the legislative elections in Italy on March 4 marked a trend 'that has spread throughout the continent', and mentioned the cases of Austria and Hungary.

The optimism from the three spokespersons for the 'anti-system' right wing clashed, however, with the moderation and clear European orientation of the future prime minister, Giuseppe Conte, in his first statements to the press after being appointed by President Sergio Mattarella.

In an evident effort to calm the concerns raised over the past few days about the possible anti-European course of the new government, Conte stressed that he and Mattarella analyzed the country's 'demanding and delicate' situation and 'the challenges ahead of us and of which I am aware'.

I am also aware of the need to confirm the international and European situation of Italy, noted Conte, who added that the government will have to be consolidated as soon as possible with the ongoing negotiations on the European budget, the reform of the right to asylum and the completion of the banking union.

Conte's stance is in line with the moderation of the discourse of the 5 Star Movement and the League, in light of pressure by institutions that are aligned with Italy's current relations with the regional integration bloc, as shown in the last version of the government contract, compared to the previous one.

Within the country, the instructions received by Conte were not warmly welcomed by representatives of the eventual parliamentary opposition, from the center-left to the right wing.

The former prime minister and ex-secretary of the Democratic Party, Matteo Renzi, assured in a message on Twitter that if the new head of Government proclaimed himself 'a defense attorney for the Italian people, we will become the civil party' to verify if they will keep the promises made during the election campaign.

The president of that party, the lawmaker Matteo Orfini, made tougher statements when he noted that 'an extreme right-wing government is about to be born', composed by political forces and a program of the same nature.

Meanwhile, Arturo Scotto, leader of Free and Equal, questioned how much autonomy Conte can represent for a government that is opening a period for 'a new liberal, populist and xenophobic right wing'.

For her part, the leader of Force Italy at the Senate, Anna Maria Bernini, noted that her party will abstain from supporting the establishment of a government with a program that will not solve 'the true problems of citizens and the many emergencies that affect the economy, families and companies'.

The senator added that the party of former Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, a member of the center-right coalition along with the League, will oversee the performance of a government that is 'unbalanced in favor of the 5 Star Movement, that we do not trust and that we consider immature to lead Italy.'

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Category: Internationals
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