Premier Paolo Gentiloni has won a vote of confidence from the Italian Parliament's lower chamber for his new government, overcoming opposition outrage that his cabinet and agenda essentially mirror those of his humiliated predecessor.

The chamber voted 368-105 on Tuesday night to back Mr Gentiloni and his cabinet.

Opposition politicians from the anti-European Union Northern League and the populist 5-Star Movement had vowed to abstain from the vote to protest Mr Gentiloni's "photocopied" cabinet.

They said that by retaining so many ministers from ex-premier Matteo Renzi's cabinet, Mr Gentiloni ignored the results of the December 4 referendum in which Italians overwhelmingly rejected Mr Renzi and his reforms.

The Senate is expected to vote on a confidence motion on Wednesday.

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