Italian government wins first confidence vote on electoral law

ROME– 25 October 2017: The Italian government won an initial confidence vote in the upper house of parliament on Wednesday on a new electoral law that looks unlikely to produce a clear-cut result at national elections due by next May.

Prime Minister Paolo Gentiloni has called five confidence motions in the upper house Senate on the reform and hopes to get the package approved by Thursday, despite furious opposition from the anti-system 5-Star Movement and small leftist groups.

The initial motion was approved by 150 votes to 61. Around 100 senators did not take part in the vote.