Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi passed a test in parliament on Wednesday, defeating an opposition censure motion against a minister implicated in a corruption scandal.

Italy's Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi (C) gestures after a final confidence vote on a 25 billion euro austerity package at Italy's upper house of Parliament in Rome July 28, 2010. Berlusconi passed a test in parliament on Wednesday, defeating an opposition censure motion against a minister implicated in a corruption scandal. [Xinhua/Reuters File Photo]

The motion was rejected by 299 to 229 with 75 abstentions in the 630-member lower house, the first major test for Berlusconi since he broke up with house speaker Gianfranco Fini.

The censure motion targeted Justice Ministry Undersecretary Giacomo Caliendo, who is under police investigation for alleged influence-peddling but has denied wrongdoing.

Fini had been an ally since Berlusconi entered into politics 16 years ago and is the co-founder of the People of Freedom party. He and his supporters founded a rival Future and Freedom for Italy group last week.

The two had bickered for months on a number of issues, including immigration and justice.

Berlusconi urged Fini to step down from his office given that he no longer represented the majority of people who elected him. But Fini rejected his demand and formed a new party.

With his comfortable majority in parliament was eroded by the split, Berlusconi has threatened early elections if provoked by Fini. The government's term lasts till 2013.