Italian outgoing Premier Matteo Renzi, right, hands over the cabinet minister bell to new Premier Paolo Gentiloni during the handover ceremony at Chigi Palace Premier's office, in Rome, Monday, Dec. 12, 2016. Paolo Gentiloni, a Democrat serving as foreign minister, formed Italy’s new government Monday, keeping several key ministers from the coalition of Matteo Renzi, who resigned last week. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia) (The Associated Press)
ROME – Italian Premier-designate Paolo Gentiloni is facing his first confidence votes in Parliament for a new government that mirrors that of Matteo Renzi and was cobbled together in near-record time after Renzi's humiliating resignation.
Gentiloni outlines his agenda before Parliament's two chambers Tuesday, followed by confidence votes that could stretch into Wednesday. The aim is to have a government in place before Thursday's European Council summit.
The populist opposition 5-Star Movement has vowed to abstain from the votes to protest Gentiloni's "photocopied" Cabinet that it says ignores the results of the Dec. 4 referendum, in which Italians overwhelmingly rejected Renzi's reforms.
Gentiloni says his priorities are to help lawmakers draft new electoral rules so Italians can vote in the first general election since 2008.
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