Italians have dealt Premier Silvio Berlusconi a serious political blow, overturning laws passed by his government to revive nuclear energy, privatise the water supply and help him avoid prosecution.
Partial results in three referendums today showed clear majorities to throw out the water privatisation law, kill a law reviving nuclear energy and undo legislation offering the Italian leader a partial legal shield in criminal prosecutions.
Voter turnout topped 57% - safely above the 51% needed to validate the vote. It is the first time since 1995 that a quorum has been reached.
Even before the polls closed, Mr Berlusconi conceded that Italy would probably have to give up plans to return to nuclear energy and instead focus on renewable energy.
"Italy, following the decision that the Italian people are taking in these hours, probably will have to bid farewell to the question of nuclear power plants," he said.
It is the second time Italians have said no to nuclear energy in a referendum. The first was in 1987, after the Chernobyl nuclear disaster, and this time the images of the nuclear disaster in Japan, following the March 11 quake and tsunami, weighed heavily in voters' minds.
The referendum on nuclear energy comes just weeks after Germany announced plans to abandon its nuclear programme by 2022, in the wake of Japan's disaster. It also comes two weeks after Mr Berlusconi's candidates lost local elections in such key cities as his stronghold Milan and Naples.
Mr Berlusconi and many of his allies abstained from voting on the ballot questions that were direct challenges to both Mr Berlusconi's policies and his legal tactics in criminal cases in Milan.
Mr Berlusconi's government tried to block the nuclear referendum, abrogating its own law relaunching nuclear power to give the country time for reflection. However, the country's highest court said the referendum, backed by 750,000 signatures, could go ahead.
Two referendums aimed at halting the privatization of the water system and the imposition of market rules on water pricing also were headed for passage.
Mr Berlusconi's government had passed a law mandating that the water supply be privatized by the end of 2011, saying private funds were needed to improve ageing delivery systems and cut waste. Roman Catholic clergy joined the campaign to revoke the law, saying that water was a human right that should not be subject to market rules.
The referendum on whether top government officials could continue to enjoy a "legitimate impediment" from defending themselves in court due to official business was the most direct swipe at Mr Berlusconi. Italy's highest court already weakened the law, unfreezing criminal prosecutions in Milan earlier this year. The court said, however, that Mr Berlusconi's lawyers could present official conflicts preventing his appearance on a hearing-by-hearing basis.
The strategy could create delays in ongoing cases, possibly pressing up against the statute of limitations, as Mr Berlusconi's defence seek to schedule court appearances in four cases amid the premier's official duties.
Mr Berlusconi, who for years failed to appear in court as is permitted for defendants in criminal cases in Italy, has changed his legal strategy, saying he wants to defend himself in court.
He currently is facing four criminal cases in Milan, including his trial on charges of having paid for sex with an underage teenager and then using his influence to cover it up. That trial continues tomorrow, although Mr Berlusconi is not expected to attend the technical hearing.