Italy foreign minister Tajani succeeds Berlusconi as Forza Italia chief

FILE PHOTO: Italy's Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani addresses the opening session on the first day of the Ukraine Recovery Conference in London, Britain June 21, 2023. Henry Nicholls/Pool via REUTERS

ROME (Reuters) - Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani was elected on Saturday as leader of Forza Italia, the conservative party founded 29 years ago by billionaire media tycoon Silvio Berlusconi who died last month.

Tajani, 69, who was chosen unanimously by Forza Italia's national council, faces a hard task reviving the fortunes of a party whose public support had been dwindling for years even before Berlusconi's death.