Rome (dpa) - The Italian government was Friday braced for a risky do-or-die confidence vote in the Senate over its 2007 budget.

Prime Minister Romano Prodi has so far had to resort to nine such confidence votes since being officially sworn in last May in order to speed up the passage of legislation and close ranks among coalition lawmakers.

The centre-left has just a one-seat majority in the upper house, but can also rely on the votes of a handful of life-appointed senators and some independents.

The government has already survived five such confidence votes in the Senate and few surprises were expected on Friday.

Should it lose, it would be forced to resign.

The 2007 budget draft envisages nearly 35 billion euros (46 billion dollars) in tax hikes and spending cuts designed to contain the country's budget deficit within limits imposed on eurozone members.

The budget has proved deeply unpopular, plunging support for the ruling coalition to all-time lows. According to a new opinion poll published by Corriere della Sera on Friday, the government now enjoys the backing of 45.3 per cent of voters, compared to 54.7 per cent for the opposition.

Prodi, who has been booed repeatedly by protesters during recent outings, has defended the budget but has admitted "mistakes" in the way it has been presented to the electorate.

"The budget is only the first stage of a long term strategy designed to cure the country," Prodi told Sky Italia television on Thursday.

After its approval in the Senate, the budget would have to return to the lower house, where it has already cleared a similar confidence vote. // © 2006 DPA


Publication date: 15 December 2006   

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