Berlusconi opponent concedes defeat

ROME, Italy -- Centre-left leader Francesco Rutelli has conceded defeat in Italy's elections, leaving the way clear for Silvio Berlusconi to become the country's 59th prime minister since World War II.

Official results show Berlusconi's centre-right bloc has won a simple majority in the Italian Senate, taking at least 168 of 324 seats in the chamber.

The centre-left Olive Tree coalition led by former Rome Mayor Rutelli has so far won 106 seats.

Preliminary results also show media mogul Berlusconi leading, but without an outright majority, in the count for control of the 630-seat lower house -- known as the Chamber of Deputies.

VIDEO One analyst calls Italy's current election campaign 'undoubtedly the dirtiest since 1948.' CNN's Alessio Vinci reports Play video (QuickTime, Real or Windows Media)    AUDIO Berlusconi to form coalition govt 670K/61 sec. AIFF or WAV sound Rutelli concedes defeat 710K/65 sec. AIFF or WAV sound CNN's Robin Oakley: A battle of personalities over policies 645K/59 sec. AIFF or WAV sound    BIG PICTURE Italian election has wider European repercussions    ELECTION WATCH Italian parliamentary elections

A coalition must secure a majority in both houses before President Carlo Azeglio Ciampi can give it a mandate to form Italy's next government.

CNN's Alessio Vinci says Rutelli told a press conference that Berlusconi had won a "legitimate victory."

But, Vinci says, a question mark still hangs over how much Berlusconi will have to depend on the support of his allies, the anti-immigration Northern League.

Early signs however showed that Berlusconi's party, Forza Italia, had gained at the expense of the Northern League, with its vote collapsing to about four percent, from the 10 percent it gained in the 1996 general election.

Berlusconi owns the soccer team AC Milan as well as Italy's three main private TV networks and has promised Italians deep tax cuts, higher pensions and 1.5 million new jobs, although he has been vague about the details.

The election results have been delayed by a combination of slow counting and a complex proportional representation system.

More than 80 percent of the eligible 49.5 million Italians turned out to vote in Sunday's election.

Long queues saw some polling stations remain open six hours beyond their scheduled closure, with the last vote being cast at around 4 a.m. (0200 GMT) and violence reported to have broken out at one station in Naples.

Such electoral chaos has been blamed on the interior minister cutting back by a third the number of polling stations.

The markets have been looking for a clear electoral victor to avoid the political instability that has plagued the country.

Far-right Austrian politician Joerg Haider, whose anti-immigration policies have been compared to those of the Northern League, said he welcomed Berlusconi's victory, according to the Associated Press.

"Italy needs a change," he told the Milan-based daily Corriere della Sera while attending the opera Sunday night at Milan's La Scala. "I hope this result influences European politics in a positive way."

AP quoted the Spanish Foreign Minister, Josep Pique, congratulating Berlusconi, with French Foreign Minister Hubert Vedrine being more cautious, saying France would be attentive to what the new government would bring.

Berlusconi served as prime minister for seven months ending in 1994 with a coalition falling apart.

He has promised to address any accusations of conflict of interest between his multi-billion dollar media empire and the role of leader promising to draft a law in the first 100 days of his rule, if elected.

Berlusconi leading Italian poll
May 13, 2001
Italians take stock before poll
May 12, 2001
Rutelli's Italian vision
May 12, 2001
Italian campaign nears end
May 11, 2001
Italy's poll rivals end campaigns
May 11, 2001
Europe on agenda for Italy poll
May 9, 2001
Italian election turns presidential
May 9, 2001

Italian Parliament

Note: Pages will open in a new browser window

External sites are not endorsed by CNN Interactive.