Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi and his coalition government survived a vote of confidence in Parliament Wednesday, winning the vote 342–275, allowing him to finish his term until 2013.
In July, Berlusconi ally Gianfranco Fini left the government, shrinking the number of loyal Berlusconi MPs and reducing his majority. The difference in Wednesday’s vote was 34 votes coming from Fini supporters. According to an AP report, MP Carmelo Briguglio, loyal to Fini, said Thursday that “the government wouldn’t exist any more” without support from members of Fini’s new Future and Freedom party.
“The chamber [of deputies, lower house] has approved the vote of confidence with a broader and more pronounced majority than in 2008. That’s what counts,” Berlusconi said. There are some expectations of an election before the end of his term.
