Today: 30 October 2025
19 January 2021
2 mins read

Conte survives lower house confidence vote

Conte sought the confidence vote after former Prime Minister Matteo Renzi, now a senator who leads the Italia Viva party, pulled out of the ruling majority last week, sparking a government crisis…reports Asian Lite News

Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte has won the first of two confidence votes at the Lower House of Parliament by 321 in favour, 259 against and 27 abstaining.

Conte sought the confidence vote after former Prime Minister Matteo Renzi, now a senator who leads the Italia Viva party, pulled out of the ruling majority last week, sparking a government crisis, reports Xinhua news agency.

As a result of Renzi’s move, Conte now needs to find other political allies with enough votes in parliament to give him a new majority.

The government he leads is currently backed by the Five Star Movement (M5S) and the center-left Democratic Party (PD).

Renzi cited disagreements with the government over its handling of the pandemic and its National Recovery and Resilience Plan, a massive investment project using European Union (EU) funds, as his reasons for quitting.

Monday vote was was the first of two confidence votes the Prime Minister is facing.

The second one will take place on Tuesday after Conte addresses the Senate.

According to Italian law, the cabinet can survive only if it has the confidence of both chambers of the parliament.

Conte will face a tougher test in the Senate and the outcome is highly uncertain.

However, some domestic observers expect Conte’s government to survive the current crisis, but with a thinner coalition majority compared to the one that has ruled since September 2019.

“The Prime Minister might obtain the confidence, but is not likely to enlarge the boundaries of his majority,” Italy’s weekly news magazine L’Espresso said on Monday.

Conte’s effort to find new allies among lawmakers from political groups outside the M5S-PD coalition in the Senate might succeed, after all, resulting in a 161-seat majority (which would exactly mean half of the senators plus one), L’Espresso added.

If this was the case, the magazine said, it would still be a very thin political base.

“So scarce numbers…would have an immediate political repercussion: the margins for the government’s action will be just as narrow,” L’Espresso added.

Meanwhile, at a video conference with international media on Monday, the director of LUISS University’s School of Government Giovanni Orsina said he expected the government to win the confidence vote in both houses, despite several uncertainties.

“The cabinet is likely to survive, but with a thinner majority,” Orsina said.

At the same conference, LUISS professor of Applied Economics Valentina Meliciani warned the crisis should not end up affecting the country’s ability to plan and to spend efficiently the huge financial resources soon coming from the massive EU recovery fund.

Also read:Italy bans flights from Brazil over virus variant

Previous Story

UAE revokes visa-free deal with Israel

Next Story

Bharat Biotech Warns Of Possible Covaxin Side Effects

Latest from -Top News

Gazans Struggle to Revive Life

Today, Gaza’s markets seem to awaken from beneath the ruins. Partially destroyed shops opened their doors amid streets littered with debris, while merchants attempt to arrange what remains of their goods on

GAZA AID: MSF raps Israel

Doctors Without Borders (MSF) says Israel Continues to Use Aid as a Weapon of War Against Gaza Strip…reports Asian Lite News Doctors Without Borders (MSF) said that despite the ceasefire agreement, Israel

Qatar Emir Meets Trump

HH the Amir welcomed HE the US President and his accompanying delegation, expressing his pleasure at meeting the President during his stopover in Qatar…reports Asian Lite News HH the Amir Sheikh Tamim

Abu Dhabi leads future of food innovation

Global Food Week 2025 cements Abu Dhabi’s leadership in food innovation, uniting 75 countries to showcase sustainable agriculture, cutting-edge technologies, and women-led enterprises driving future food security….reports Asian Lite News Global Food

UAE reshapes AI council

The newly reconstituted Council will be chaired by His Highness Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed Al Nahyan, with His Highness Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan serving as Vice-Chairman….reports Asian Lite
Go toTop