Italy Senate rejects first of two no-confidence votes against Renzi

27/01/2016 - 20:03

ROME (Reuters) - Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi on Wednesday defeated the first of two no-confidence motions brought by the opposition in parliament which accused the government of having a conflict of interest during the rescue of four small banks last year.

The Senate voted 178 to 101 to defeat the no-confidence motion that would have prompted the collapse of Renzi's government had he lost it. The second vote is underway.

Both motions accuse Renzi's government of having a conflict of interest because his 35-year-old Reform Minister Maria Elena Boschi held shares in one of the saved banks, and her father was on the board.

(Reporting by Steve Scherer, editing by Isla Binnie)