Gentiloni told the Lower House ahead of the confidence vote that creating jobs and electoral law reform are the priorities for his new government.
"The priority of priorities will be jobs, jobs, jobs," he said.
“At a time when the economy is showing some signs of recovery, we certainly all know that they are initial signs but must be encouraged."
Gentiloni added that beginning at a European Union summit on Thursday, his government would continue to push to change the EU's Dublin Regulation, which states that migrants and asylum seekers must register in their country of arrival.
"It must be very clear that the Italian position does not lack respect for anyone,” he said.
“We aren't party poopers, but we can't take on migrant flows for the whole of the EU either."
The new premier went on to affirm that the time to analyse the past is over, and lawmakers must tone down their verbal violence.
"Inevitably a significant part of the debate was focused on analysing what has happened in the past 10 days, more than the government's programs and objectives," Gentiloni said.
"From my point of view this is one of the last times I'd like to linger on it. The premier's duty is to concentrate on what needs to be done."
Gentiloni also warned opposition parties that his very presence as premier means his centre-left Democratic Party (PD) has admitted defeat in the December 4 referendum.
"I've heard it said that we failed to recognise the referendum defeat," he said.
"My presence here this afternoon means we recognized the reasons for that defeat. The premier [Matteo Renzi] resigned, and we invited all forces in parliament to take part in the formation of a new government, a necessary step requested by the president of the Republic."
He then blasted the populist 5-Star Movement (M5S), which boycotted the session and the confidence vote.
"Here we have the champions of the central role of parliament, who are absent at the most important moment of parliamentary life."
With ANSA
