FLORENCE, ITALY – Premier Matteo Renzi’s new government gained the backing of parliament on Tuesday when it won a confidence vote in the Lower House, with 378 votes in favor, 200 against, and one abstention.
The former mayor of the city of Florence, 39, is officially Italy’s youngest premier in history. The executive, which was sworn in on Saturday, had won another confidence vote in the Senate early on Tuesday.
His government is the fourth in just over two years and the third straight to come to power without elections.
In one of the bolder moments of his speech, Renzi took a jab at controversial austerity policies promoted by the European Union over the past several years, saying his government did not want a Europe that tells Italy what to do.
After the hour-long speech interrupted by 15 rounds of applause, Renzi made his first phone call as premier to United States President Barack Obama. Asked if the call had gone well, Renzi replied in English “yes”.