Enrico Letta asked to form Government in Italy

Italian Democratic Party lawmaker Enrico Letta gives his statement to the media after talks with Italian President Giorgio Napolitano, in Rome's Quirinale presidential palace, Wednesday, April 24, 2013. Italy's president has appointed Enrico Letta as premier, asking him to try to form a government to end Italy's political paralysis and set the country back on the path of reform and economic growth. Letta, a 46-year-old longtime center-left lawmaker, told reporters Wednesday he accepted the job knowing it's an enormous responsibility and that Italy's political class "has lost all credibility." (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)

Enrico Letta, deputy leader of the Centre-Left Democratic Party in Italy, has been formally asked to form the next Government, an aide to Italian President Giorgio Napolitano has said.

The Prime Ministerial designate, a former Europe, Industry and Foreign Trade Minister, said he will move quickly to form a Government following eight weeks of political stalemate.

Speaking shortly after being appointed by President Giorgio Napolitano, the 46-year-old Letta said he plans to return to the President “in the shortest time possible,” after consulting political parties about support for his Government.

As Prime Minister, he would concentrate on tackling unemployment, pushing through institutional reforms and calling on the European Union to change its current stance, which he says is “too focused on austerity.”

Earlier, Mr. Napolitano had summoned Mr. Letta to his Quirinale palace, in a move that was widely interpreted as signalling that he would be appointed Prime Minister.