Prodi govt fights for survival in Italian Senate vote

Premier Romano Prodi’s nine-month-old government hangs on a confidence vote this evening in the Italian Senate, where the centre-left leader is pitching for outside support to shore up his shaky coalition.

The looming possibility of early elections – and a return to power by conservative leader Silvio Berlusconi – was expected to convince Prodi’s sometimes troublesome allies to back him in the upper chamber vote.