The lower chamber of parliament approved the bill with 172 votes in favour, none against and four abstentions.
Neither the populist opposition Five Star Movement (M5S) led by Giuseppe Conte, who was prime minister at the start of the pandemic, nor the centre-left opposition Democratic Party (Pd) took part in the vote.
The bill now goes to the Senate for final approval.
After the proclamation of the result, the majority lawmakers shouted in chorus “Truth, truth”.
“This commission is a farce, it is not an act of political courage but of cowardice,” said Conte before the vote.
“You only have the strength of numbers on your side, but we do not recognise any political and moral authority,” continued Conte, announcing that M5S lawmakers would leave the chamber for the vote.
“This commission, in the way it has been conceived, ignoring all the proposals of the oppositions, has only one purpose: to set up a political tribunal to strike at the members of the governments that preceded you,” said Roberto Speranza.
Speranza was Health Minister in Conte’s government when Italy found itself at the epicentre of the Covid pandemic in Europe.
Both Conte and Speranza have been implicated into two separate investigations regarding Covid.
One was into Italy’s level of preparedness to handle a pandemic, the other was in regard to the management of the initial phase of the pandemic in the Bergamo area.
In both cases the relative ministers’ tribunals shelved the cases against them.
Conte and Speranza have said they acted in accordance with the available scientific data and the opinions of experts.
ANSA
