Greece’s coalition government won a vote of confidence early on Saturday. It had called for the bid to gather support from its back bench ahead of the presidential vote early next year. Lawmakers voted 155 in favor, 131 against and 2 voted “present” out of a total of 288 deputies.

The deputies voted after three days of discussion.

Conservative Prime Minister Antonis Samaras had sought a vote of confidence in an effort to allay fears of renewed political instability ahead of negotiations for Greece to exit from its bailout program. The call for a vote of confidence was prompted by anti-bailout Coalition of the Left SYRIZA party that is ahead on opinion polls and has promised to renegotiate the tough terms of the 240-billion-euro bailout program.

Prior to the voting, Mr. Samaras said that “early elections would be a disaster and would cancel all the effort that’s been made” to revive Greek finances.