Second confidence vote won by Italy’s PM Monti

Second confidence vote won in lower house by technocratic government of Italian Prime Minister Mario Monti.

19 November 2011, 12:00am

1 min read

Technocratic government of Italy's PM Mario Monti wins second confidence vote.

Italian Prime Minister Mario Monti’s technocratic government won a crucial confidence vote in the lower house of parliament where MPs voted 556 to 62.

The vote was to endorse the new government’s programme after Monti’s request to remain in office until elections in 2013. The upper house, Senate, endorsed the new programme on Thursday.

Silvio Berlusconi said he would support the new cabinet in office until 2013.

Monti promised to fight tax evasion and reform pensions to reduce Italy’s debt which reached unsustainable levels although dropping to safer levels following his appointment.

After the country’s worsening financial crisis forced by Berlusconi, Monti was sworn in on Sunday to lead an expert government which includes fellow professors, bankers and businessmen.