Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi said he would resign today but immediately form a new government with the same centre-right coalition partners.
Mr Berlusconi told the upper house of parliament (Senate) during a confidence debate in his four-year-old administration that he was determined to serve out his full five year term, which is due to end in the Spring of 2006.
He said he had had assurances from all four coalition parties that they were willing to back his new administration.
Mr Berlusconi was forced to hold the confidence debate when two coalition parties demanded he make sweeping changes after his coalition was heavily defeated at recent regional elections.
Under the terms of the Italian constitution a prime minister is obliged to resign if he makes major changes to his cabinet.