Chamber easily rejects motion against embattled minister.

Italy’s lower house of parliament on Tuesday rejected a no-confidence motion filed by the opposition against tourism minister Daniela Santanchè who faces a tax fraud trial in March.

The motion, backed by the centre-left Partito Democratico (PD), the populist Movimento 5 Stelle (M5S) and the Green-Left Alliance (AVS), was rejected by 206 votes to 134, with one abstention.

Santanchè, a prominent member of premier Giorgia Meloni's right-wing Fratelli d'Italia party, faces accusations that she and 16 others were aware of alleged falsification of financial statements at her former publishing group Visibilia.

Milan prosecutors allege that Visibilia's balance sheets were manipulated between 2016 and 2022 to hide millions of euro of losses and enable the company to stay in business.

Trial

Santanchè, 63, sold her stake in Visibilia before becoming tourism minister more than two years ago and has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing.

The trial, scheduled for 20 March, involves 17 defendants including Santanchè’s partner Dimitri Kunz and her sister Fiorella Garnero.

On Tuesday a defiant Santanchè faced down her opponents in parliament, smirking and looking at her phone amid the heated debate in the chamber.

12-cm heels

“I’m a free woman" - she told parliament - "I wear 12-centimetre heels, I take care of my figure, I love dressing well, and yes, I’m also the woman from Twiga and Billionaire - places you all love to criticise.”

The minister, who was referring to her involvement with upmarket beach clubs, also addressed another hot topic in recent days: counterfeit luxury handbags.

"There is no fear in my bags" - Santanchè stated, displaying her handbag prominently - "I say it without problems: I have a collection of bags".

"My father, who was the eighth child of farmers, taught me one thing: you only steal what you hide and I have nothing to hide", Santanchè continued.

Handbag controversy

Her intervention followed claims by Silvio Berlusconi's former partner Francesca Pascale that in 2013 Santanchè, then a member of Forza Italia, gave her a gift of two Hermès handbags.

Pascale alleges that, two years later, after her dog damaged one of the bags, she took it to be repaired at the Hermès boutique in Milan where she was informed that it was fake.

Covid funds

Santanchè is also embroiled in another investigation into Visibilia's alleged pocketing of government redundancy funds for employees who continued to work during the covid pandemic.

The minister earlier told parliament that she might consider resigning if she is indicted as part of this separate investigation.

However she said that if she were to stand down she would "make that decision alone, without any pressure, coercion, or implied blackmail.”