Berlusconi no longer has parliamentary majority

Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi appears to no longer have a majority in the lower house of parliament, a development that could lead to a crisis of government, the Wall Street Journal reports. Berlusconi’s governing coalition mustered only 308 votes, in the 630-member chamber, on Tuesday during a vote on a routine budget bill. The measure was passed, but only because 321 lawmakers abstained from voting. Berlusconi is now expected to hold talks with President Giorgio Napolitano, Italy’s head of state, about whether he should step down.

The Wall Street Journal