Premier Enrico Letta's coalition of rival political blocs won the backing of the Chamber of Deputies tonight in a mandatory confidence vote on his coalition.
The Chamber voted 453 to approve the government, and 153 voted no.
The government faces a required second vote tomorrow in the Senate, where Letta's center-left forces don't have the majority.
But media mogul Silvio Berlusconi's center-right party, which is part of the tense coalition government, is expected to give Letta sufficient backing.
Earlier, Letta told the Chamber's lawmakers he intended to lower the tax burden on Italians in hopes of stimulating economic growth.