Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi has won a key confidence vote in parliament, sparked by questions over his handling of the economy and personal scandals.
Mr Berlusconi won the vote in the lower house by 316 vote to 301.
Italy's government credit rating was recently downgraded and parliament failed to back a key part of the budget this week, triggering the vote.
Mr Berlusconi also faces trial on sex, bribery and abuse of power charges.
The outcome of the vote was in doubt until the last minute - even some of Mr Berlusconi's own MPs were expressing uncertainty.
Most of the opposition boycotted the first round of the vote, raising questions about whether there were enough MPs to form a quorum.
Berlusconi in numbers
· At least 51 votes of confidence (including 14 October vote) in his government since it took power in 2008
· Three election victories - 1994, 2001 and 2008
· Two election defeats - 1996 and 2006
· Four ongoing trials
· $9bn - net worth of Berlusconi and his family (Forbes, 2010)
· 2,500 court appearances at 106 trials over 20 years
On Saturday, he also faces a mass demonstration of some 200,000 people in Rome - similar to recent ones in New York and Madrid - against austerity measures and financial mismanagement.
Italy is considered vulnerable in the current eurozone crisis, with the highest public debt among countries using the European single currency.
The country approved an austerity package last month to balance the budget by 2013 but its central bank chief this week urged the government to introduce more measures to stimulate growth.
Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-15302695
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