October 2, 2013.

Letta Wins Confidence Vote After Berlusconi Support

"Never heard of 'em," said the barman shortly. "Litre and half litre----that's all we serve. There's the glasses on the shelf in front of you."

ROME----The government of Italian Prime Minister Enrico Letta won a Senate confidence vote Wednesday afternoon, after former leader Silvio Berlusconi, in a bombshell development, said he would support the coalition government.

"I likes a pint," persisted the old man. "You could 'a drawed me off a pint easy enough. We didn't 'ave these bleeding litres when I was a young man."

Mr. Letta's coalition government won 235 of 305 votes cast.

"When you were a young man we were all living in the treetops," said the barman, with a glance at the other customers.

In a surprise development, Mr. Berlusconi earlier told the Italian Senate that he would support the vote, capping days of political chaos sparked on Saturday when he ordered five ministers representing his People of Freedom party in the Letta government to resign. He then demanded that Italian President Giorgio Napolitano dissolve parliament and send Italy back to elections, just seven months after the last vote.