Italy's President Giorgio Napolitano rejected Prodi's demand to step down on 21 February 2007 (see EurActiv 22/02/07). The Senate will now decide, in a vote of confidence, whether to reinstate Prodi as prime minister. The crucial vote is likely to be held on 1 March, followed by a 2 March vote in the parliament's lower chamber, where Prodi's coalition enjoys a larger majority.
It was also a Senate vote, on Italy's military mission in Afghanistan, which triggered Prodi's decision to step down.
President Napolitano said: "It is clear that at the moment there is no alternative to a new confidence vote. This is necessary to verify if there is support for the government."
But Prodi has only a one-seat majority in the Senate following a narrow victory in Italy's general elections in April last year.
Prodi is said to have the support of the centre-left coalition. Piero Fassino, leading the Democrats, the largest coalition party said in an interview on state television: "According to our calculations, we have the majority among elected senators and also if you include the senators-for-life."
