Italy’s far-right government wins final approval for its 30-billion-euro budget

ROME (AP) — Italy’s parliament has approved the government’s 2025 budget, worth a total of 30 billion euros — more than half of that in tax cuts and social security benefits for low-income citizens. The measures, pushed by the far-right cabinet headed by Premier Giorgia Meloni, won final approval in the Upper House by 108 votes to 63. The country’s center-left opposition had harshly criticized the economic package, saying it didn’t meet the premier’s pledges to slash taxes for most Italians and boost employment. The package includes a 1,000-euro bonus for the parents of newborns, with wealthier families excluded, as part of efforts to reverse Italy’s declining birth rate.