in office but to submit to a vote of confidence in both houses. On 28 February, the Senate voted to grant confidence to Prodi's Government. Though facing strong opposition from the centre-right coalition, the vote resulted in a 162–157 victory. Prodi then faced a vote of confidence in the lower house on 2 March, which he won as expected with a large majority of 342–198. On 14 October 2007, Prodi oversaw the merger of two main parties of the Italian centre-left, Democrats of the Left and The Daisy, creating the Democratic Party. Prodi himself led the merger of the two parties, which had been planned over a twelve-year period, and became the first President of the party. He announced his resignation from that post on 16 April 2008, two days after the Democratic Party's defeat in the general election. Fall On 24 January 2008 Prime Minister of Italy Romano Prodi lost a vote of confidence in the Senate by a vote of 161 to 156 votes, causing the downfall of his government. Prodi's resignation led President Giorgio Napolitano to request the President of the Senate, Franco Marini, to assess the possibility to form a caretaker government. The other possibility would have been to call for early elections immediately. Marini acknowledged impossibility to form an interim government due to the unavailability of the centre-right parties, and early elections were scheduled for 13 and 14 April 2008. Investiture votes Party breakdown Beginning of term Ministers Ministers and other members Independents (Olive Tree area): Prime minister, 1 minister, 4 undersecretaries Democrats of the Left (DS): 9 ministers, 5 deputy ministers, 23 undersecretaries Democracy is Freedom – The Daisy (DL): 8 ministers, 3 deputy ministers, 18 undersecretaries Communist Refoundation Party (PRC): 1 minister, 1 deputy minister, 6 undersecretaries Rose in the Fist (RnP): 1 minister, 1 deputy minister, 3 undersecretaries Italian Radicals (RI): 1 minister Italian Democratic Socialists (SDI): 1 deputy minister, 3 undersecretaries Italy of Values (IdV): 1 minister, 2 undersecretaries Independents (PdCI area): 1 minister, 2 undersecretaries Federation of the Greens (FdV): 1 minister, 2 undersecretaries Independents: 1 ministers, 6 undersecretaries Union of Democrats for Europe (UDEUR): 1 minister, 2 undersecretaries Lega per l'Autonomia – Alleanza Lombarda (LAL): 1 undersecretary The Socialists: 1 undersecretary United Democratic Christians (DCU): 1 undersecretary End of term Ministers Ministers and other members Democratic Party (PD): Prime minister, 18 ministers, 8 deputy ministers, 40 undersecretaries Communist Refoundation