Draghi to meet Scholz 'within days'

Italy's premier Mario Draghi on Thursday congratulated Germany's new Chancellor Olaf Scholz on the start of his mandate and during their phonecall the two leaders agreed to meet "in the coming days", said a statement from Draghi's office.

Scholz, a member of Germany's centre-left Social Democratic Party, was sworn in on Wednesday, formally taking power after Angela Merkel's historic 16 years as leader.

The SDP will rule Germany alongside the Greens and the business-friendly Free Democrats, with tackling the coronavirus pandemic and fighting climate change top priorities for the new goverment.

Scholz's first foreign trip as chancellor will be to Paris and Brussels on Friday, where he will have to respond to fears surrounding Russia's military build-up near the border with Ukraine.