Date set for Prodi vote of confidence

Italian Premier Romano Prodi’s government will face a vote of confidence in the Senate on Wednesday, putting his razor-thin majority to the test a week after defeat in the upper house of parliament triggered his resignation.

Prodi stepped down last Wednesday after his centre-left coalition was defeated in a vote on Italy’s military mission in Afghanistan and other foreign policy issues.

But on Saturday the Italian president asked him to stay on and put his government to a new vote of confidence in parliament.

Prodi is scheduled to deliver a policy speech to senators tomorrow afternoon.

On Wednesday, the upper house will hold the confidence vote, according to a timetable set during a meeting of Senate whips today.

If the government loses the confidence vote it will have to resign, opening a political crisis that might lead to the formation of a broad-coalition government or even early elections.

A meeting of Chamber of Deputies whips later today is to set a date for the vote in the lower house, where Prodi’s forces have a comfortable majority.

Prodi has struggled since coming to power nine months ago to hold together a coalition ranging from pro-Vatican centrists to Communists and other radical leftists.

The premier has a one-seat majority in the Senate, leading centre-left leaders to try to broaden the coalition to some moderate senators.

At least one centrist – Marco Follini, a former deputy premier who has since left the conservative coalition led by Silvio Berlusconi – has said he will back the government.

The government can also count on support from some of seven honorary senators appointed for life.