This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . It will not be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/world/europe/6403561.stm
The article has changed 9 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 3 | Version 4 |
|---|---|
| Italian PM wins key Senate vote | Italian PM wins key Senate vote |
| (20 minutes later) | |
| Italian Prime Minister Romano Prodi has won a confidence vote in the Senate, allowing him to continue in office. | Italian Prime Minister Romano Prodi has won a confidence vote in the Senate, allowing him to continue in office. |
| The narrow victory - by 162-157 - came a week after senators defeated Mr Prodi on his foreign policy, prompting the centre-left government to stand down. | The narrow victory - by 162-157 - came a week after senators defeated Mr Prodi on his foreign policy, prompting the centre-left government to stand down. |
| President Giorgio Napolitano had asked him to stay on and put his cabinet to a confidence vote in parliament. | President Giorgio Napolitano had asked him to stay on and put his cabinet to a confidence vote in parliament. |
| On Friday, the prime minister will face another confidence vote in lower house where he has comfortable majority. | On Friday, the prime minister will face another confidence vote in lower house where he has comfortable majority. |
| "I am very satisfied, now we'll go to the lower house," Mr Prodi told reporters after Wednesday's vote. | "I am very satisfied, now we'll go to the lower house," Mr Prodi told reporters after Wednesday's vote. |
| Click here to see a breakdown of seats in the Senate | Click here to see a breakdown of seats in the Senate |
| Mr Prodi resigned last week after nine months in office, when some members in his nine-party coalition voted against him. | Mr Prodi resigned last week after nine months in office, when some members in his nine-party coalition voted against him. |
| Some partners in his coalition opposed troop deployments in Afghanistan and plans to expand the Vicenza US airbase in northern Italy. | |
| Challenges ahead | |
| Mr Prodi's supporters, ranging from ex-Communists to former Christian Democrats, later closed ranks. | |
| The BBC's Christian Fraser in Rome says the vote was a predictable result. | |
| All nine parties in the coalition had signed up to a binding agreement on the government's policies a week ago and they were unlikely to go back on that agreement with opposition leader Silvio Berlusconi, waiting in the wings. | |
| Now the parties must abide by their commitments and that is where the difficulties begin, our correspondent adds. | |
| Within the coalition there are still big disagreements on several key policies - such as the mission in Afghanistan and pension reform which some left-wing members oppose. | |
| The government also plans to give legal rights to unmarried and gay couples - a bill Catholics in the centre of his group have said they will never accept. | |
| Analysts say Mr Prodi still faces a big challenge, and with only a one seat majority in the Senate remains as vulnerable as ever. | |
| BALANCE OF POWER IN ITALIAN SENATE AFTER 2006 ELECTIONS Further detail of Centre-left seats (others) Italy of Values - 4 seatsPopular-UDEUR - 3 seatsThe Union - South Tyrolean People's Party - 3 seatsSouth Tyrolean People's Party - 2 seatsConsumers' List - 1 seatOlive Tree - 1 seatAutonomy Liberty Democracy - 1 seatThe Union (abroad) - 4 seats | BALANCE OF POWER IN ITALIAN SENATE AFTER 2006 ELECTIONS Further detail of Centre-left seats (others) Italy of Values - 4 seatsPopular-UDEUR - 3 seatsThe Union - South Tyrolean People's Party - 3 seatsSouth Tyrolean People's Party - 2 seatsConsumers' List - 1 seatOlive Tree - 1 seatAutonomy Liberty Democracy - 1 seatThe Union (abroad) - 4 seats |
| Click here to return | Click here to return |