Italian Premier Giuseppe Conte wins confidence vote in Senate, keeping his wobbly government afloat

ROME (AP) — Italian Premier Giuseppe Conte has won a crucial confidence vote in the Senate, keeping his wobbly coalition afloat for now, but without the reliable support he needs to help effectively govern a country reeling from the pandemic. The vote Tuesday night went 156 to 140 in his favor, with 16 abstentions, mainly from a coalition ally that bolted the government last week. Had Conte lost, he would have been had to resign. But an absolute majority in the Senate is 161, so Conte faces a tough time finding reliable allies in Parliament to help pass pandemic economic relief measures. Right-wing opposition leaders demanded he step down.