Balanced budget enshrined in constitution Extended austerity proposal passes Italian Senate

(ANSA) - Roma, April 17 - On Tuesday the Italian Senate passed a balanced budget law, to be written into the Constitution without the need for a referendum.The extended austerity proposal, which is part of the European Treaty on Stability, Coordination and Governance, will become national law after it gained two-thirds of the Senate vote, hence avoiding referendum.Premier Mario Monti took part in the vote, which he called "important".