Paolo Gentiloni, Italy’s foreign minister, will take over from Matteo Renzi as prime minister, leading a government that will need to rapidly address a looming banking crisis and continue relief efforts after a series of earthquakes.
Mr Gentiloni was summoned to an hour-long meeting on Sunday with Sergio Mattarella, Italy’s president, at the Quirinal palace in central Rome.
He emerged to announce he had accepted the mandate to try to form a new government and serve as prime minister, calling it a “high honour”.
