<p>The vote was carried by 315 votes in favour to 298 against -- a far higher majority than the beleaguered Berlusconi has enjoyed recently, after scraping through a no-confidence vote in parliament in December last year.<br /><br />The victory is a largely symbolic one as prosecutors are expected next week to request a trial against Berlusconi for abuse of power in an inquiry involving a young nightclub dancer nicknamed Ruby the Heart-Stealer.<br /><br />The accusation is part of a wider investigation into the 74-year-old Italian leader on allegations of hand-picking prostitutes for wild parties and paying to have sex with Ruby when she was still under 18 -- a criminal offence.<br /><br />The prime minister's loyal accountant for the past 30 years, Giuseppe Spinelli, is alleged to have handled payments to the women, including arranging rent-free accommodation in a suburban complex built by Berlusconi in the 1970s.<br /><br />Spinelli's office is considered as being under parliamentary privilege because of Berlusconi's status as a member of parliament. The opposition has accused Berlusconi of hiding from prosecution behind his status for years.<br /><br />The latest scandal over Ruby, whose real name is Karima El Mahroug, erupted on January 14 and came after a top court modified a temporary immunity law that has shielded the Italian leader from impending corruption trials.<br /><br />Berlusconi has dismissed all the allegations against him as a plot by prosecutors and has pledged to continue governing as normal, putting together an economic plan aimed at boosting Italy's sluggish growth rate.<br /><br />The government has also pledged to move ahead with a controversial federalism programme to delegate greater powers to Italy's regions, a key demand of Berlusconi's last remaining major ally -- the Northern League party.<br /><br />The government yesterday failed to win backing from a parliamentary committee for a law to grant greater tax raising powers to cities but later approved a similar measure by decree anyway at an emergency cabinet meeting.</p>
<p>The vote was carried by 315 votes in favour to 298 against -- a far higher majority than the beleaguered Berlusconi has enjoyed recently, after scraping through a no-confidence vote in parliament in December last year.<br /><br />The victory is a largely symbolic one as prosecutors are expected next week to request a trial against Berlusconi for abuse of power in an inquiry involving a young nightclub dancer nicknamed Ruby the Heart-Stealer.<br /><br />The accusation is part of a wider investigation into the 74-year-old Italian leader on allegations of hand-picking prostitutes for wild parties and paying to have sex with Ruby when she was still under 18 -- a criminal offence.<br /><br />The prime minister's loyal accountant for the past 30 years, Giuseppe Spinelli, is alleged to have handled payments to the women, including arranging rent-free accommodation in a suburban complex built by Berlusconi in the 1970s.<br /><br />Spinelli's office is considered as being under parliamentary privilege because of Berlusconi's status as a member of parliament. The opposition has accused Berlusconi of hiding from prosecution behind his status for years.<br /><br />The latest scandal over Ruby, whose real name is Karima El Mahroug, erupted on January 14 and came after a top court modified a temporary immunity law that has shielded the Italian leader from impending corruption trials.<br /><br />Berlusconi has dismissed all the allegations against him as a plot by prosecutors and has pledged to continue governing as normal, putting together an economic plan aimed at boosting Italy's sluggish growth rate.<br /><br />The government has also pledged to move ahead with a controversial federalism programme to delegate greater powers to Italy's regions, a key demand of Berlusconi's last remaining major ally -- the Northern League party.<br /><br />The government yesterday failed to win backing from a parliamentary committee for a law to grant greater tax raising powers to cities but later approved a similar measure by decree anyway at an emergency cabinet meeting.</p>