Former Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi indicated today that he was open to an alliance between his centre-right coalition and the centre-left group that won most seats in Italy's parliamentary election.
"Italy cannot be left ungoverned, we have to reflect," Berlusconi said in a television interview when asked whether he was open to joining with the centre-left. He said all parties need to sacrifice something for the common good.
On the other hand he explicitly ruled out a coalition with outgoing Prime Minister Mario Monti, and said his austerity policies had dragged Italy into recession.
The centre-left won a majority in the lower house in the election on Sunday and Monday but not in the Senate, which it must hold to be able to legislate.
Berlusconi added that he was not worried about a negative market reaction to the vote or a possible increase in Italy's borrowing costs.
RESULTS
Lower House: majorit y to centre-left of Pier Luigi Bersani
Party Percentage Seats
Bersani centre-left total 29.54 340
Democratic Party 25.42 292
Left Ecology Freedom 3.2 37
Democratic Centre 0.49 6
SVP 0.43 5
Berlusconi centre-right total 29.18 124
People of Freedom 21.56 97
Northern League 4.08 18
Brothers of Italy 1.95 9
5-Star Movement 25.55 108
Monti centrists total 10.56 45
Civil Choice 8.30 37
Centre Union 1.78 8
Senate: deadlock
Party Percentage Seats
Bersani centre-left total 31.63 113
Democratic Party 27.43 105
Left Ecology Freedom 2.97 7
The Megaphone 0.45 1
Berlusconi centre-right total 30.72 116
People of Freedom 22.30 98
Northern League 4.33 17
Great South 0.39 1
5-Star Movement 23.79 54
Monti centrists total 9.13 18
Civil Choice 9.13 18
*Lower house results are still awaited for 13 seats from the
Valle D'Aosta region. Senate results are still awaited for 14
seats to be attributed from Trentino and Valle d'Aosta regions
and from Italians voting abroad.
**Source: Italian interior ministry website. Turnout was
75.11