By a vote of 169 for and 139 against, Matteo Renzi won the backing of Italy’s Senate for the prime ministerial post on Monday. <br /><br /> The 39-year old former mayor of Florence takes his new position after a period of prolonged political uncertainty in the country. <br /><br /> His centre-left Democratic party relied on support from the New Centre Right. <br /><br /> He wasted no time in hinting at the direction he wants to take the country:. <br /><br /> “The Italy that I imagine and that we want to rebuild is one that can be a world leader – I am not afraid to say this. The political classes must understand that they’re not paid to treat parliament like a cinema for the purposes of entertainment, but a stage for negotiating hard for reforms”. <br /><br /> Renzi also promised to reform the ponderous justice system, invest in schools and tackle the public debt. <br /><br /> Another confidence vote will be held in the lower house on Tuesday, where the prime minister’s party holds the majority.
