by Geoffroy Van Der Hasselt

Paolo Gentiloni, the man named Sunday as Italy's new prime minister, is a trusted ally of his predecessor Matteo Renzi, to whom he owes his rise to the summit of national politics. Even before he was named, opponents were suggesting the silver-haired foreign minister had been hand-picked by Renzi as a stand-in leader who is dull enough not to pose any threat to the outgoing premier's comeback hopes.

Renzi, who resigned last week after a crushing referendum defeat, remains leader of his Democratic Party (PD) and has made it clear he plans to fight the next election as its candidate to head a new government. Aged 62, Gentiloni is a former student radical who comes from a well-to-do Roman family with aristocratic roots. He has long been associated with the Green wing of Italy's left but has steadily moved towards the centre-ground over the course of a long, unspectacular career.

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Source: http://guardian.ng/