Last night the Senate passed a confidence.....>

ITALY: Last night the Senate passed a confidence vote on government's 2020

budget by 166 to 128 votes, meaning it will now move onto the Chamber of

Deputies.

- The budget must be passed by year-end to come into force. As part of the

Senate's process, the gov't reduced the size of several additional taxes

included in the original October draft, but maintains the 2.2% of GDP budget

deficit. 

- In effort to speed up the process the gov't can call a confidence vote on a

piece of legislation, and this is likely to occur in case of the budget with 22

Dec mooted as potential date.

- The advantage for the gov't is that a confidence vote on budget shortens

debate time and time for voting on amendments. The risk is that if the vote goes

against the gov't, it is obliged to resign. 

- Gov't holds relatively robust majority of 349 of 630 seats in Chamber, so even

with dissent, budget should pass.