Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi won a confidence vote in the lower house of parliament today, taking a step towards passing a budget law that raises pension and health spending and heads off a huge sales-tax increase.

The Chamber of Deputies backed the government by 348 to 144 in a vote called to accelerate passage of the 2017 budget package. Had Renzi lost, he would have had to step down.

The budget vote comes just days before the Dec. 4 national referendum over Renzi's flagship constitutional reform that is likely to determine the future of the government. The 41-year-old Renzi has said he will resign if he loses.

The Chamber is scheduled to vote to pass the budget bill on Monday. Afterwards it will be sent to the Senate. An identical version of the budget bill must be passed by both houses by the end of the year.