(ROME) - Italy's new government on Thursday proposed Antonio Tajani, from Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi's Forza Italia party, to replace Franco Frattini at the European Commission, a statement said.

Each of the EU's 27 member states has a commissioner, although they are supposed to represent EU rather than national interests in their portfolio.

Law graduate Tajani may end up with the Commission's transport portfolio, where one of the items in his in-tray will a controversial state loan to troubled Italian airline Alitalia.

Frattini stepped down after three years as the European Union's commissioner for justice, freedom and security to take up his new role as Italy's foreign minister.

When Frattini announced his leave of absence from the Commission to campaign for Berlusconi, Barroso made it clear that if another Italian ended up replacing him then the prestigious justice portfolio would go elsewhere.

France's Jacques Barrot, the current transport commissioner, looks set to pick up that portfolio.

That will leave Tajani with the transport job for the rest of current commission's tenure, which ends next year.

There he would have to deal with the issue of Berlusconi's plan to grant a state loan for troubled Italian airline Alitalia. The Commission has expressed doubts that this would meet EU state aid rules.

Tajani pursued a career as a journalist before entering politics, became a member of European Parliament in 1994 and led the Forza Italia delegation there.

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