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Italian PM wins crucial vote in Senate with very thin margin

Italian PM wins crucial vote in Senate with very thin margin
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Rome: Italian Premier Giuseppe Conte squeaked through a crucial Senate confidence vote on his government with enough backing to keep his wobbly coalition afloat for now but without the reliable majority he'll need to effectively govern the country with its pandemic-pummelled economy.

The vote went 156 to 140 in his favour, There were 16 abstentions, thanks to a small but key coalition ally that bolted the centre-left coalition last week, jeopardizing Conte's survival at the nation's helm. Among the yes votes were two defectors from the centre-right opposition party led by ex-Premier Silvio Berlusconi.

An absolute majority in the Senate is 161, so to pass critical legislation, including aid to help Italy's battered economy, Conte faces the unpleasant prospect on likely resorting often on support from outside his coalition.

Noting his win in the Senate, Conte tweeted that now the aim is to make this majority more solid. Italy doesn't have a minute to lose. Right to work to overcome the health emergency and the economic crisis. Had he lost the confidence vote in Parliament's upper chamber, Conte would have been required to resign. But without absolute command of a majority there, he could still opt to hand in his resignation to Italian President Sergio Mattarella, in a bid to be tapped anew to try to cobble together a revamped, more dependable coalition.

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