Italy’s new government faces first confidence vote amid protests

Italy's new pro-Europe government faced a confidence vote in the lower house of parliament on Monday, as protesters from the hard-right opposition rallied in Rome.

Published: 9 September 2019 11:40 CEST

Italy's new government faces first confidence vote amid protests

Italy's 'Conte Two' government faces confidence votes by both houses of parliament. Photo: Andreas Solaro/AFP

The coalition of the anti-establishment Five Star Movement and centre-left Democratic Party was expected to easily win, and will then face another vote on Tuesday in the upper house.

Demonstrators from the anti-immigration League and smaller far-right Brothers of Italy party protested in front of parliament, with some performing right-arm fascist salutes while others held up banners reading “Not in my name”.

Protesters outside parliament on Monday. Photo: Filippo Monteforte/AFP

The results of the vote are not expected until late on Monday.

Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte was set to outline the new government's 29-point programme, including potential reforms to Italy's controversial immigration law, brought in by previous interior minister Matteo Salvini.

Conte is expected to usher in a “season of reforms” under a spirit of “new humanism” which hopes to row back a season of bitter fighting and anti-immigrant propaganda under the previous tie-up between the Five Star (M5S) and Salvini's League.

The programme will focus on improving the lives of the poor and disadvantaged, from income support for the lowest earners to help for the disabled and earthquake victims, as well as tackling inequalities in the workplace, the housing crisis, and the mafia.

Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte (C) preparing to address parliament on Monday. Photo: Andreas Solaro/AFP

The most pressing dossier on the table is the 2020 budget. Conte will visit Brussels on Wednesday to mend ties after the fall of Rome's anti-EU coalition, and begin negotiations with the European Commission for greater flexibility for debt-laden Italy.

The markets have so far welcomed the new left-leaning coalition. Milan's FTSE Mib was up slightly ahead of Conte's speech. On Friday rating agency Moody's left unchanged its rating on Italy's sovereign debt at 'Baa3', with a stable outlook.

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The strike comes after Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama — who is close to Meloni — called a top RAI editor to complain about a television report into Italy’s controversial migration deal with his country.

The Usigrai trade union called the strike from May 6 to May 7 saying talks with management had failed to address their concerns.

It cited numerous issues, including staff shortages and contract issues, but in first place was “the suffocating control over journalistic work, with the attempt to reduce RAI to a megaphone for the government”.

It had already used that phrase to object to what critics say is the increasing influence over RAI by figures close to Prime Minister Meloni, who leads Italy’s most right-wing government since World War II.

However, another union of RAI journalists, Unirai, said they would not join what they called a “political” strike, defending the return to “pluralism” at the broadcaster.

Funded in part by a licence fee and with top managers long chosen by politicians, RAI’s independence has always been an issue of debate.

But the arrival in power of Meloni — leader of the far-right Brothers of Italy party, who formed a coalition with Matteo Salvini’s far-right League party and the late Silvio Berlusconi’s right-wing Forza Italia — redoubled concerns.

Tensions erupted at the weekend amid accusations RAI censored a speech by a leading writer criticising Meloni ahead of Liberation Day on April 25, when Italians mark the defeat of Fascism and the Nazis at the end of World War II.

Both RAI’s management and Meloni have denied censorship, and the premier posted the text of the monologue on her social media.

In another twist, Albania’s premier confirmed Thursday he called senior RAI editor Paolo Corsini about an TV report on Sunday into Italy’s plans to build two migration processing centres on Albanian territory.

Rama told La Stampa newspaper the report was “biased” and contained “lies” – adding that he had not raised the issue with Meloni.

The Report programme claimed the costs of migrant centres, which are under construction, were already “out of control” and raised questions about criminals benefiting from the project.