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Messy Italian Election Shakes World Markets

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The elections in Italy in Feb. 2013 show the centre left coalition headed by Pier Luigi Bersani with 29.6% of the votes in the lower house, the centre right coalition headed by Silvio Berlusconi with 29.2% of the votes, the Five Star Movement headed by Beppe Grillo with 25.6% of the votes, and the Civic Choice headed by Mario Monti with 10.6% of the vote. In the Senate the results show the centre left coalition with 31.6% of the vote, the centre right with 30.7%, the Five Star Movement with 23.8%, and Civic Choice with 9.1%. Election rules in Italy give the party with the highest number of votes for the lower house an automatic majority of 340 of 630 seats. The vote shows voter protest over austerity measures. This benefitted both the centre right and the Five Star Movement and hurt the Civic Choice centrist party of Mario Monti which implemented austerity measures in 2012. The centre left was affected by its role in coming to the aid of Monte de Paschi bank in Siena and failing to mount a strong campaign under Bersani. A majority in both houses is needed to provide a stable coalition government which opens the prospect of new elections. The Five Star Movement emerged as the largest single party. Its support comes from young people, internet based campaigning, and a rejection of the right and left parties from the old order in Italian politics, and offers a new dimension to Italy's political future.

The collapse of Italy's leading candidate for prime minister in April 2013- Pier Luigi Bersani

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Bersani's PD party leads with about 35% of the vote in polls before elections on Feb 24-25, 2013. A coalition government with centrist parties led by Mario Monti, whose support ranges from 10-14% is one of the possible scenarios. Austerity measures taken by the Monti government in 2012 have adversely affected its support. The business community in Italy and the EU countries support Monti, because of his credibility with financial markets and the need to keep Italy's borrowing costs low.

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