Italy's cabinet survives two no-confidence motions on influence peddling probe

Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi's cabinet on Tuesday survived two no-confidence votes called by opposition in the senate over an alleged conflict of interest concerning a recent influence peddling scandal.

The upper house rejected both motions, the first of which had been brought forward by anti-establishment Five Star Movement (M5S), and the second by center-right Forza Italia (FI) and Northern League parties.

Senators voted 183 to 96, and 180 to 93, against the no confidence motions respectively. Italian cabinets must resign if they lose a confidence motion in parliament.

The motions were linked to a corruption and influence peddling investigation that has already prompted a resignation within the cabinet.

On March 31, Italian economic development minister Federica Guidi quit amid allegations of a conflict of interest over her partner, Gianluca Gemelli, who manages two local oil companies.

According to 2014 wiretaps recently published by Italian newspapers, Guidi and Gemelli discussed a favorable amendment that would affect, among other issues, the development of an oil-drilling project in the southern Basilicata region.

In the phone conversations, the former minister seemed to be reassuring her partner the cabinet would pass the amendment in the 2015 budget law.

Such provision would have benefitted Gemelli's business, and had not been made public at the time.

The businessman was now under investigation on charges of corruption and influence peddling in the Basilicata case.

In her letter of resignation, Guidi explained she quitted for reasons of "political opportunity".

She denied to have played any influence on the cabinet to have the measure approved, and was questioned by magistrates in the probe. She was not put under investigation, and no charge was brought against her.

Yet, tackling corruption and cronyism was a major commitment for Renzi when he took office in Feb. 2014, and opposition forces said the scandal "called into question the entire government".

Beside the conflict of interest, the opposition accused the cabinet of not taking care of the country's main problems and of being submissive "to the needs of major economic lobbies, such as banking, financial, and oil corporations".

Renzi addressed senators in late afternoon, before the votes took place.

"Disagreeing on measures is licit, but it cannot be denied the core issues of the government's agenda have been successfully addressed by the cabinet and the parliament," Renzi said.

The cabinet was expected to survive the two votes of no confidence, thanks to a comfortable majority in the senate that included in both cases former members of Silvio Berlusconi's Forza Italia party. Endit