Senate committees elect new chairs

(ANSA) - Rome, January 21 - Three Senate committees on Thursday elected new chairs.
    Liberal-Popular Alliance - Autonomies (ALA) Senators Pietro Langella and Eva Longo were elected majority deputy chairs of the budget and finance committees, respectively. The liberal, center-right ALA emerged from a split from Silvio Berlusconi's Forza Italia (FI) party and is led by Senator Denis Verdini, who wants to support the reforms put forward by center-left Premier Matteo Renzi.
    "We take note of ALA's entry into the majority," said FI Senate caucus leader Paolo Romani. FI Senators Franco Carraro and Andrea Mandelli were elected opposition deputy chairs of the finance and budget committees, respectively.
    Senators Mauro Maria Marino and Giorgio Tonini from Renzi's center-left Democratic Party were confirmed chairs of the two committees.
    New Center Right (NCD) Senator Nico D'Ascola was elected chair of the justice committee. The NCD is a junior governing coalition member.
    Also on Thursday, FI Senator Altero Matteoli was confirmed chairman of the transportation committee and Maurizio Sacconi from the center-right Popular Area (AP) caucus was re-elected chairman of the labor committee.