(ANSA) - Rome, December 17 - Premier Enrico Letta said Tuesday that he was confident his left-right coalition government will still be in office this time next year. "Even though many outside (the government) didn't believe it, (this year) we have eaten panettone (Christmas cake) and we'll keep working well and count on being able to eat it next year too," said Letta. Letta has said his government, which was sworn in in April after a long deadlock followed February's inconclusive general election, is in a stronger position after winning two confidence votes in parliament last week. The votes were called after ex-premier Silvio Berlusconi's centre-right Forza Italia party pulled its support, leaving Letta with a more slender majority in parliament. The government survived as expected thanks to the support of the New Centre Right (NCD) party, a group of pro-government moderates led by Deputy Premier and Interior Minister Angelino Alfano, who split from Berlusconi loyalists last month.