ITALIAN PRIME MINISTER Silvio Berlusconi survived a critical vote in the parliament today.

A vote of no confidence in one of Berlusconi’s ministers, Giacomo Caliendo, was proposed but defeated by 229 votes to 299, with 75 abstaining.

If the no confidence vote had passed it could have brought down Berlusconi’s government.

The government is already on shaky ground after another minister (and co-founder of Berlusconi’s ruling party), Gianfranco Fini, recently defected – prompting a flurry of predictions regarding the future of the government.

The crisis began last week after Berlusconi announced plans to expel Fini and three of his supporters from the party.

Fini had called for a lifting of  restraints regarding how the media are allowed to gather information on politicians – and he also launched a thinly veiled attack on Berlusconi, following claims the 72-year-old premier was involved in a string of sex scandals.

Meanwhile, Giacomo Caliendo the Justice under-secretary was subjected to the no-confidence motion by those in the opposition today: he is currently under investigation for allegedly playing a part in role in trying to influence the Italian Constitutional court’s decision on Berlusconi’s Immunity Law – amongst other things.

He denies the allegations.