While Conte said he had “perfected and updated his studies” at NYU, a spokesperson for the university said that “a person by this name does not show up in any of our records as either a student or faculty member” | Alessandro Di Meo/EPA Italian PM candidate faces troubles over his CV Giuseppe Conte’s name put forward by the 5Stars and the League.

Did the man tapped to be the next Italian prime minister lie about his resume?

That question — first suggested in a report in the New York Times — is feeding rising doubts among Italy’s chattering classes over whether Giuseppe Conte is the right man for the job.

The little-known law professor was put forward for the country’s top job Monday by the anti-establishment 5 Stars and the far-right League. And it was not long before his candidacy began to be called into question.

Criticism of Conte included his lack of political experience and the way his name was put forward, without respecting protocol. Balancing that out is what looks like a rich academic resume, with short stints at New York University, Paris' Sorbonne and Yale.

In a story published late Monday night, the New York Times raised questions about at least one entry on his CV: While Conte said he had “perfected and updated his studies” at NYU, a spokesperson for the university said that “a person by this name does not show up in any of our records as either a student or faculty member.” The spokesperson added that it was possible Conte attended one or two-day programs for which the school does not keep records.

In a statement, the 5Stars rejected the report, saying that Conte "improved and updated his studies” in New York.

Even before the story broke Italian media had reported on doubts about Conte inside Italian President Sergio Mattarella’s office.

To begin, there was the nature of his candidacy — the fact that he is not one of the leaders of the largest political party, as is customary.

The second was the way his name was publicly announced, by the leader of 5Stars, Luigi Di Maio, and the leader of the League, Matteo Salvini.

Under the Italian constitution it is up to the president to appoint the prime minister. By presenting the name as a fait accompli, the two populist leaders seemed to be reducing the president's role to that of merely rubber-stamping the appointment.

By making his name public, the two leaders wanted to make clear that “they are the custodians of the new political power” and not Mattarella, the left-leaning La Repubblica newspaper wrote Tuesday.

One problem that concerns Brussels is that the Italian president is considered to be the country's guarantor of international treaties. If his authority were to be undermined, it could make it more difficult for him to enforce respect for European Union rules.