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Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi (R) shakes hands deputies of his party, at the parliament in Rome, Italy, on 14 September 2011. Italy's parliament on 14 September gave final approval to an austerity package backed by the government of Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi and deemed necessary by the European Union to allay market fears over Italy's huge public debt burden. The lower house Chamber of deputies approved the 54-billion-euro (74 billion US dollar) package by a vote of 316 in favor to 302 against it. Last week, Parliament's upper house, the Senate, approved the measures, also through a confidence vote. (KEYSTONE/EPA/GIUSEPPE LAMI)