Italy’s Lawmakers Elect Sergio Mattarella As President

ROME — Italian lawmakers elected Sergio Mattarella, a Constitutional Court justice widely considered to be above the political fray, as the nation’s new president on the third day of voting Saturday. Mattarella’s election as head of state was clinched when he amassed 505 votes – a simple majority. The 73-year-old former minister with center-left political roots went on to garner a total of 665 votes from the 1,009 eligible electors. Known as a man of few words, Mattarella cemented that reputation with his first remarks to the nation. “My thoughts go, above all, to the difficulties and hopes of our fellow citizens.