The new mayor said that his first action would be to begin “immediate expulsions” of the 20,000 immigrants in the city with criminal records.
Gianni Alemanno, 50, a firebrand neo-fascist and the first Right-wing mayor of the city since the Second World War, vowed to make Rome “secure” as he was sworn into office after his election at the weekend.
The election of Mr Alemanno confirmed a strong shift to the Right by Italians, who have been sickened by a spate of violent crimes committed by immigrants.
Earlier this month, the centre-Right leader Silvio Berlusconi was re-elected as prime minister and will form a government in partnership with Umberto Bossi, the leader of the anti-immigration Northern League.
In a sign of things to come, after Mr Alemanno’s election Mr Berlusconi declared: “We are the new Falange.”
The original Falange (or Phalanx) was the Spanish fascist party, founded in the 1930s, whose doctrine was adopted by General Franco.
Mr Alemanno’s election was celebrated by hundreds of supporters chanting “Duce! Duce!” and raising their arms in Mussolini’s fascist salute.