Rome - Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi's newly elected centre-right government, won Thursday the second of two parliamentary confidence votes.

The upper house Senate approved the government with 173 votes for, and 137 against. Two of the 312 senators present abstained.

On Wednesday the government, which was sworn in last week, easily won a confidence vote in the lower house Chamber of Deputies.

Berlusconi enjoys a comfortable majority in both houses of parliament following the centre-right's triumph in the April 13-14 elections. (dpa)