Italian President Sergio Mattarella appointed on Wednesday little-known lawyer Giuseppe Conte as prime minister, who would now be tasked with forming a new government.
Conte declared that he wanted his government to "confirm Italy's place" in Europe and the rest of the world.
“I’m preparing now to defend the interests of all Italians in all places, in Europe and internationally,” Conte told reporters after holding two hours of talks with Mattarella. “I will be the defense lawyer for the Italian people.”
Italy has been deadlocked since an inconclusive election in March. After weeks of fruitless talks between the various parties, Five Star and the League finally agreed to a government pact last Friday, promising to hike taxes and jack up spending.
Conte was plucked from obscurity by Five Star. He holds no elected position and has no political or management experience. Critics say he risks being an exceptionally weak leader who will have little influence over his coalition partners.
Conte's appointment could bring an end to more than two months of political uncertainty in the eurozone's third-biggest economy.
The Five Star-League alliance's euroskeptic stance has alarmed senior European officials, but Conte sought a more conciliatory tone towards Europe when speaking to journalists at the presidential Quirinal palace.
"I'm aware of the necessity to confirm Italy's place, both in Europe and internationally," he said.
"My intent is to give life to a government of the people that looks after their interests. I'm ready to defend the interests of Italians in Europe and internationally, maintaining dialogue with European institutions and representatives of other countries."
“The government must immediately contend with ongoing negotiations over the European budget, the reform of asylum law, and the completion of the banking union,” he said.
“It’s my intention that the direction we take must reflect national interests.”
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