Prodi wins vote in parliament's lower house, but doubts linger for the long term

ROME -- Premier Romano Prodi won a confidence vote in the lower house of parliament Friday, formally ending Italy's political crisis, but questions lingered over his fractious Cabinet's ability to govern effectively.

A government must resign if it loses a vote of confidence. But Prodi's center-left forces have a comfortable majority in the Chamber of Deputies, and got the win they needed with a 342-253 vote.

The premier faced his toughest test earlier this week when he survived a vote of confidence in the Senate, which is almost evenly split between the center-left and the conservative opposition.

Although the government's immediate survival appeared guaranteed, its long-term stability is fraught with obstacles. Prodi's coalition stretches from Communists to Christian Democrats and commands only a slim parliamentary majority.

Amid the crisis, and faced with the prospect of a return to power of Silvio Berlusconi, all coalition allies have ensured their support to Prodi. But since taking power in May, the center-left has bickered over everything from Italy's international commitments to rights for unmarried couples. The current crisis was triggered by a defeat in a Senate vote on foreign policy, including the country's military presence in Afghanistan.

Several divisive issues await the government.

A Cabinet plan to legalize unmarried couples, including homosexual ones, appears to have been sacrificed to safeguard government stability. The government-proposed legislation has irked the Vatican and angered Catholic politicians in the bloc.

Prodi dropped mention of the proposal in a 12-point plan that serves as the new government platform -- an apparent nod to Catholic politicians courted by the center-left to broaden the coalition.

Afghanistan, where Italy has 1,800 troops, remains a touchy issue. Some radical leftist senators maintain their opposition to the military deployment and say they will vote against an upcoming measure to refinance the mission there. Prodi may have to rely on help from Berlusconi, who has said his center-right forces would back the measure.

Changes to Italy's onerous pension system and the planned construction of a high-speed train connecting Turin and Lyon, France, are also potentially divisive issues.

Prodi credited his government's action for helping the country's slow recovery from a zero-growth economy.

"Our strategy is bearing the fruit we had hoped for," Prodi told lawmakers shortly before Friday's vote of confidence. "We are not going to stop. This is the right path."