There are 21 ministers in the so-called Conte Two government, plus the premier and his undersecretary.

Eleven are from the Five Star Movement (M5S), nine are from the Democratic Party (PD), one is from the PD's left-wing ally Free and Equal (LeU), and two are independent.

Of all 23 members of the government, seven are women and 16 are men.

Prime Minister: Giuseppe Conte (independent)

Conte, a law professor who had never held political office before he was named prime minister last year, returns as Italy's President of the Council of Ministers, the equivalent of prime minister. A compromise choice in the previous coalition government between the M5S and the hard-right League, he describes himself as independent but is close to the M5S. 

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He surprised everyone when he resigned last month rather than face a confidence vote, thereby avoiding snap elections. He delivered a blistering resignation speech into the bargain, slamming the man responsible for triggering the collapse of that coalition – the League's Matteo Salvini – and winning him new popularity with voters.

Conte is believed to be the only premier in the history of the Italian Republic to return for a second term at the head of a totally different governing majority. 

ANALYSIS: How Italy's prime minister survived the collapse of his own government

Photo: Andreas Solaro/AFP

Undersecretary to the PM: Riccardo Fraccaro (M5S)

Conte's undersecretary is Riccardo Fraccaro, a member of the M5S who served as Minister for Parliamentary Relations and Direct Democracy in the outgoing government.

The Five Star Movement is said to have been keen to secure the position of closest aide to the premier.

Interior: Luciana Lamorgese (independent)

One of the most coveted positions was that of Interior Minister, previously occupied by Matteo Salvini of the League. The post gives its occupant the say over hot-button issues including immigration and law and order, and, as Salvini demonstrated, it's a great way to get your face in the news.

Luciana Lamorgese with President Sergio Mattarella and Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte. Photo: Andreas Solaro/AFP

It goes to Luciana Lamorgese, a career civil servant and former security chief for the cities of Venice and Milan. Considered an expert in migration policy, she is not affiliated with either the M5S or the PD and has served as chief of staff for previous interior ministers on both the centre-right and centre-left. 

Unlike her predecessor, Lamorgese does not have any social media accounts.

Economy and Finance: Roberto Gualtieri (PD)

Gualtieri is a founding member of the PD and, since 2009, a deputy in the European Parliament. He has chaired the EU parliament's committee on economic and monetary affairs for the past five years and is very familiar with the Brussels scene. 

PROFILE: Who is Roberto Gualtieri, the Brussels insider in charge of Italy's precarious economy?

Photo: Herbert Neubauer/APA/AFP

His appointment is understood to have been a key demand of the PD. Gaultieri is expected to take a more cooperative attitude to the EU's finance rules as Italy's deadline for passing a budget looms. 

Foreign Affairs: Luigi Di Maio (M5S)

The 30-something head of the M5S, Di Maio takes over the Foreign Ministry having been both Minister for Economic Development and deputy prime minister in the previous coalition government. The appointment is said to be a compromise: Di Maio reportedly asked for the Interior Ministry, but was persuaded to take Foreign Affairs instead – and to give his position as deputy PM upon the assurance that no one else would be given it either.

PROFILE: Luigi Di Maio, from political upstart to Italy's foreign minister

Photo: Andreas Solaro/AFP

Di Maio spent much of his first term competing for attention with Salvini and has not always shown strong diplomatic credentials. His party has a history of anti-EU, pro-Russia positions, and Di Maio himself provoked a crisis with France after meeting the leaders of the anti-establishment Yellow Vest protests. He's also known to have a limited grasp of English.

Di Maio has said he will focus particularly on Africa, the hot-button migration issue, and Italy's relationship with emerging economies.

European Affairs: Vincenzo Amendola (PD)

Another key post for Italy's relations with its neighbours goes to Vincenzo Amendola of the PD, who served as an undersecretary in the Foreign Ministry the last time the party was in power.

Brussels will see him as a safer pair of hands than his two predecessors, League allies and vehement eurosceptics Paolo Savona and Lorenzo Fontana.

Vincenzo Amendola (L). Photo: Emmanuel Dunand/AFP

Defence: Lorenzo Guerini (PD)

Another big portfolio goes to the PD. Guerini takes over as Defence Minister having previously been head of the parliamentary committee on national security. He has a reputation as a talented mediator and will be expected to build on Italy's internationally-valued strengths in peacekeeping and civilian-military engagement.

He is considered an ally of the PD's influential former leader Matteo Renzi, a polarizing figure who continues to hold sway over the party. 

Justice: Alfonso Bonafede (M5S)

Bonafede remains in post as Justice Minister. He has been nicknamed the “Mr Wolf” of the Five Star Movement: a close personal ally of Di Maio, he is considered the M5S leader's most faithful fixer and guard dog.

Photo: Filippo Monteforte/AFP

Health: Roberto Speranza (LeU)

The PD's left-wing ally, which threw its backing behind the coalition as a (very) junior partner, gets one cabinet position in return. But it's an important one: Italy has been plagued by outbreaks of avoidable diseases as anti-vaccination misinformation spreads. Both the M5S and the League criticized Italy's compulsory vaccination policy. 

Speranza replaces Giulia Grillo of the M5S, who oversaw a series of confusing U-turns on the vaccine law.

Equal Opportunities and Families: Elena Bonetti (PD)

Bonetti strikes a distinct contrast from her predecessor Lorenzo Fontana, a member of the League with anti-abortion, anti-LGBT views. By contrast, Bonetti has publicly supported gay unions for several years. 'Equal Opportunities' is a notable addition to her title: it was absent under Fontana, whose priority was encouraging Italian women to have more babies.

Like Guerini, Bonetti is an ally of the PD's Matteo Renzi.

Environment: Sergio Costa (M5S)

Costa continues as Environment Minister from the previous government, when he was picked by the Five Star Movement from outside the world of politics.

A former carabinieri officer and regional commander of the Forestry Police, he is best known for his efforts to investigate widespread illegal waste dumping in and around Naples.

Culture: Dario Franceschini (PD)

Franceschini returns as Culture Minister, having held the post the last time the PD was in government. 

Photo: Andreas Solaro/AFP

He notably oversaw a series of partnerships with private companies to restore some of Italy's most iconic monuments, as well as inviting experts from around the world to direct the country's biggest museums.

Innovation: Paola Pisano (M5S)

Pisano joins the government from Turin, where she served as innovation specialist on the M5S city council. Once named “Italy's most influential woman in digital”, she's a rising star in the Movement and was offered the chance to head its list for the last European elections, though she turned it down.

To date, she has worked on making services in Turin more efficient and accessible for residents.

Industry and Economic Development: Stefano Patuanelli (M5S)

Patuanelli is one of the Movement's highest-profile lawmakers and played a key role in the negotiations for the new coalition. Among his tasks will be the endeavour to revive Italy's struggling Alitalia airline.

Agriculture, Food and Forests: Teresa Bellanova (PD)

A former farm labourer, Bellanova left school in her mid-teens and never went to university. She rose up through the trade unions defending the rights of other agricultural workers in Puglia, before going on to represent the region in the lower house of parliament.

Photo: Filippo Monteforte/AFP

She was subsequently elected a senator, then served as an undersecretary and vice minister focused on labour and economic development in the two last PD governments. While some criticized her lack of formal qualifications, the PD said it was proud to put a former farm worker in power.

The remainder of the posts go to:

• Work and Social Policy: Nunzia Catalfo (M5S)
• Education: Lorenzo Fioramonti (M5S)
• Infrastructure and Transport: Paola De Micheli (PD)
• Parliamentary Relations: Federico D'Incà (M5S)
• Public Administration: Fabiana Dadone (M5S)
• Regional Affairs: Francesco Boccia (PD)
• The South: Giuseppe Provenzano (PD)
• Sport and Young People: Vincenzo Spadafora (M5S)