Meloni defends policy plans ahead of 2nd confidence vote

ROME (AP) — Italy’s new Premier Giorgia Meloni has defended her policy aims ahead of a second and final confidence vote in Parliament before the new government led by her far-right party can get down to business. During a wide-ranging reply to parliamentary questions that lasted about an hour, Meloni on Wednesday rejected criticism by the opposition that her Ukraine support failed to make any reference to peace, and that her economic policies would encourage tax evasion and endanger substantial EU pandemic recovery funds. Meloni easily won the first of two confidence votes in the lower house on Tuesday, and later Wednesday faces a second vote in the Senate, where she also holds a solid majority.