![A Berlusconi supporter waves a huge flag proclaiming her allegiance to the prime minister.](https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/7a13340/2147483647/strip/true/crop/200x267+0+0/resize/880x1175!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fmedia.npr.org%2Fworld%2Fitaly%2Fflag200x270-39a8e6976476fbf5687cd4b3f85c7d3a29f47858.jpg)
Italians vote Sunday and Monday in what is seen as a referendum on the conservative government of their prime minister, the media tycoon-turned-politican Silvio Berlusconi.
His chief rival -- leading in the polls -- is softspoken Romano Prodi, former European Union commissioner and also a former prime minister. Prodi heads a center-left coalition. The campaign has been tense and strident. Results are expected Monday night.
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