Populist premier designate Giuseppe Conte was on Thursday holding all-day talks at the parliament with Italy's political parties after president Sergio Mattarella on Wednesday asked him to form a government.
Conte, a 53-year-old law professor and political novice was tapped to lead a coalition government by the grassroots Five-Star Movement and the anti-immigrant, eurosceptic League on Monday.
In his acceptance speech Conte said he wants to be “the defence lawyer of the Italian people” at home and abroad and is “fully aware of the challenges we face” and "the need of confirming Italy’s European and international standing”.
Conte is due to draw up a list of cabinet ministers and submit their names to the Mattarella for his endorsement. Conte's cabinet line-up must then be approved by the parliament in a confidence vote within ten days of its formation.
Mattarella, who took extra time to ponder Conte's suitability for the role amid questions over his lack of political experience and allegations that he lied on his CV, could still oppose his proposed cabinet.
The most controversial potential appointment is that of finance minister, a role that the League has been pushing to assign to Paolo Savona, an 81-year-old eurosceptic economist.
Mattarella is said to have reservations about Savona, who called Italy's entry into the euro zone an "historic error" and wants a "plan B" to be drawn up to allow it to leave the currency bloc if necessary.
Five-Star leader Luigi Di Maio, could be given control of the labour ministry, while League chief Matteo Salvino could become interior minister according to political analysts.
Italy's ambassador to Qatar Pasquale Salzano is tipped to be defence minister.
Italy has been in political limbo since the inconclusive 4 March national election in which populist forces made strong gains but no party or alliance won an outright parliamentary majority.
Before Wednesday's announcement, Five-Star called for action if Conte was not given a mandate. One of the party's leading lights, Alessandro Di Battista, took to Facebook to “invite all citizens to make their voice heard", prompting charges of "subversion" from centre-left politician and former foreign minister Piero Fassino
