Letta wins confidence vote in Lower House

(ANSA) – Rome, December 11 – Premier Enrico Letta’s left-right coalition government survived a confidence motion in the Lower House on Wednesday. The vote was called after ex-premier Silvio Berlusconi’s centre-right Forza Italia party pulled its support, leaving Letta with a more slender majority in parliament. The government prevailed in the House with 379 votes in favour, 212 against and two abstentions.

Another confidence vote in the Senate, where the government has a much smaller majority, takes place later Wednesday.

The government will collapse if it loses the vote.

It is expected to survive thanks to the support of the New Centre Right (NCD) party, a group of pro-government moderates led by Deputy Premier and Interior Minister Angelino Alfano who split from Berlusconi loyalists last month.