The Italian government's €25 billion package of austerity measures cleared its final parliamentary hurdle today when it was approved in the lower house.
The measures have already been approved in the Senate and the government won a confidence motion on the bill yesterday, making today's vote a near-formality.
The package, intended to shore up Italy's strained public finances, cuts spending, freezes pay for many public sector workers and includes a crack down on tax evasion.
The opposition has criticised the package, saying it hits workers and spares the rich but the government says sacrifices are fairly distributed and necessary to avoid a Greek-style debt crisis.
