(Top) Berlusconi applauds after the confidence vote in parliament as a policeman (centre on ground) is attacked by demonstrators during a protest in Rome on Tuesday. (AP,AFP)

Rome, Dec. 14: Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi narrowly survived two confidence votes today, avoiding the collapse of his government but prolonging Italy’s political agony.

The votes, in the Senate and lower house, came in a highly charged atmosphere. Some protesters clashed violently with the police, who fired tear gas, as tens of thousands of people marched through Rome calling on Berlusconi to step down. The government called in 1,500 police officers to keep order.

Today, the man who brought personality-driven politics to a nation once known for its revolving-door governments once again proved that his personal fate was inexorably entwined with that of his country’s. In spite of the victory, both were plunged into political uncertainty today. Although his mandate is set to end in 2013, Berlusconi, with a razor-thin majority, no longer has the margin to govern, and analysts predicted that he might resign in the coming weeks and call early elections anyway.

Berlusconi’s chief problems are within his own coalition. After the vote, Gianfranco Fini, a former ally who split with Berlusconi in July and voted against him today, acknowledged his group’s defeat. But he added that: “It will be clear in a few weeks that Berlusconi can’t say he has won in political terms.” Early elections could come at a high cost at a time when international markets are intensely focused on Italy’s high debt and low growth. While political chaos is nothing new to Italy, this time around the stakes are far higher since markets are intensely focused on Italy’s high debt and slow growth. Berlusconi won by three votes in the lower house, with 314 in favour, 311 against and 2 abstentions. He also won a confidence motion in the Senate.

But he still lacks a clear parliamentary majority. Not even Berlusconi was strong — or focused enough — to hold together a fragile and ideologically incoherent Centre-Right coalition that began unravelling after he split with Fini, thereby losing his parliamentary majority. Fini, a former neo-fascist turned moderate who is also the speaker of the lower house, accused Berlusconi of being undemocratic and formed a breakaway grouping called Future and Liberty for Italy. Last month, Fini withdrew four cabinet members, formalising the crisis.