Rome (The Hawk): With 235 votes in favour, 154 votes against, and 5 abstentions, the lower house of parliament has given its support to the new Italian government headed by Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni.
To start functioning fully, the cabinet must now pass the senate's second confidence vote on Wednesday.
Before the vote, Meloni outlined the main ideas of her government's plan and vowed to steer the nation through what she called some of the most difficult times in decades. She also promised to abide by EU regulations, according to the Xinhua news agency.
The Brothers of Italy's leader Meloni is the nation's first female prime minister in history.
She received 26% of the vote in the hastily held elections on September 25. Forza Italia and the League, two allies who each received more than 8% of the vote, ran alongside Brothers of Italy.
So, on October 22, President Sergio Mattarella asked Meloni to head the government.
Meloni emphasised that Italy would continue to move within the parameters of Western alliances in her first speech to lawmakers prior to the confidence vote.
Italy is a founding member of the European Union, the eurozone, and the (North) Atlantic alliance, making it an integral part of the West and its alliance system, according to her.
She added that she understood why people were curious about her government's stance toward the EU institutions.
As for our stance "within" EU institutions, she said, "I would rather talk about it because that is where Italy will make its voice heard, not to hold integration back but to help steer it to greater effectiveness."
Meloni stated that the government's domestic priorities include expanding the "flat-tax" system, introducing a presidential system through constitutional reform, and providing more assistance to families and women in the workforce.
(Inputs from Agencies)