Europe News
Italy austerity measures set to get final parliamentary nod
Dec 22, 2011, 9:00 GMT
Rome - Italy's Senate was Thursday due to discuss and approve through a parliamentary vote of confidence a package of austerity measures proposed by the Mario Monti government.
The upper house vote was scheduled to take place in the afternoon.
Last week, the measures were comfortably adopted in a similar confidence vote held in the lower house Chamber of Deputies.
Monti's technocratic cabinet has the backing of parliament's two largest political groups - the conservative People of Freedom party of Silvio Berlusconi and the centre-left Democratic Party.
The measures proposed by the government include higher value added tax, a new levy on first homes and pension reforms.
Monti, a former European Union commissioner, has billed the government's 30-billion-euro (39-billion-dollar) austerity package a 'Save Italy' decree.
The premier is under pressure to tackle Italy's 1.9-trillion-euro public debt load, which is 20 per cent larger than its annual gross domestic product.
COMMENT
blog comments powered by DisqusLatest Headlines in Europe
- 1. Pope in Easter message calls for peace and religious tolerance
- 2. Magnificent Messi leads Barcelona to ninth straight win
- 3. Pope leads Easter vigil, calls for "true enlightenment"
- 4. Barcelona increase pressure on Real with romp in Zaragoza
- 5. Pope Benedict XVI leads Easter Vigil
Older Talkback
