Berlusconi’s 3 1/2-year-old government faces a confidence vote Friday that will test if the premier retains a majority in Parliament. If the vote fails, Berlusconi must step down.

The crisis was provoked when lawmakers this week blocked routine legislation, which prompted opposition lawmakers to demand his immediate resignation and the country’s ceremonial president to urge the Italian leader to prove his government’s mettle.

Berlusconi made clear in his 15-minute address that he has no intention of stepping down — and that if he loses the only alternative is new elections, not a technical government. He has steadfastly resisted calls for new elections as his leadership has been weakened by personal scandals, trials and Italy’s increasingly precarious financial position.

Opposition leader Pierluigi Bersani said surviving a confidence vote, however, is not the same as governing a country.

“The government is not coping with the situation. The problems have all been laid out, but he only knows how to stay nailed to his seat by using tricks,” Bersani said.

Berlusconi’s coalition partner, the Northern League, has indicated only grudging support for the leader, saying publicly that it is not sure Berlusconi will complete his mandate in 2013.

Berlusconi argued that only a democratically elected government enjoyed the support to make the painful but necessary decisions to stabilize Italy’s finances.

Should he lose, Berlusconi said voters must decide a new government, adding that a technical government would not have “the strength of a legitimate government like this.”