Italy picks former PM Gentiloni as EU commissioner -govt source

Italy's new government has put forward former center-left Democratic Party (PD) premier Paolo Gentiloni to be the next Italian EU Commissioner, a government source said on Thursday.

Gentiloni served as prime minister from 2016 to 2018, and his appointment is widely seen as a move to guarantee smooth ties with Brussels after months of high tensions. A PD source said Gentiloni was expected to get a top economic portfolio.

The new Italian coalition, formed by the anti-establishment 5-Star Movement and the Democratic Party, was sworn into office on Thursday. Italy was the only member of the 28-nation bloc that had yet to put forward a candidate for the commission.