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Edition: U.S. Article Comments (0) Full Focus Photos of the week Our top photos from the past week. Full Article Follow Reuters Facebook Twitter RSS YouTube Read Texas county official says "stupid" feds sparked fire 13 May 2011 Strauss-Kahn, France's would-be president 4:41am EDT IMF's Dominique Strauss-Kahn faces sex charges | 11:30am EDT Socialist boss calls Strauss-Kahn arrest "thunderbolt" 6:31am EDT CORRECTED - Strauss-Kahn lawyer says must remain calm over arrest 4:54am EDT Discussed 125 Son says bin Laden sea burial demeans family: report 81 Texas county official says ”stupid” feds sparked fire 63 Obama administration fights to save healthcare law Watched Fire ants form rafts to defy floods Tue, Apr 26 2011 Croatian magnet boy displays attractive talent Fri, May 13 2011 Under pressure, Obama seeks more drilling Sat, May 14 2011 Local elections to test Berlusconi's grip on power Tweet Share this By Silvia Aloisi ROME (Reuters) - Italians voted on Sunday in local elections that will show whether a sex scandal, three corruption trials and a stagnating economy have seriously damaged Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi two years before the end of... Email Print Factbox Italy's May 15-16 local elections 5:58am EDT Analysis & Opinion Mario Draghi: A breath of the fresh air at the ECB The East German puppet pulls the Soviet strings Related Topics World Home » Italy » Italy's Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi gestures during a party meeting to support Gianni Lettieri, Naple's mayoral candidate, in Naples May 13, 2011. Credit: Reuters/Ciro De Luca By Silvia Aloisi ROME | Sun May 15, 2011 5:58am EDT ROME (Reuters) - Italians voted on Sunday in local elections that will show whether a sex scandal, three corruption trials and a stagnating economy have seriously damaged Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi two years before the end of his term. Some 13 million Italians, nearly a quarter of the population, are eligible to vote in 1,310 towns and provinces, although turnout is expected to be relatively low because of disillusionment with the stormy political climate. The most important contests are in the four big cities of Turin, Naples, Bologna and Milan -- Italy's business capital and Berlusconi's home town, where his center-right coalition runs the risk of losing for the first time in nearly 20 years. The local vote, which runs through Monday, follows opinion polls putting Berlusconi's popularity at about 30 percent, the lowest since he swept to power for the third time in 2008. But more than once in the past the 74-year old premier has defied predictions that his grip on power was weakening. "The problem is that when people are inside the polling station, they change their mind and always end up voting for Berlusconi, and that is because the center left does not have a leader as strong as him in terms of charisma," said Milan resident Giorgio Cecchi. Since March, Berlusconi has faced four concurrent trials for corruption, tax fraud and, most sensationally, having sex with an underage prostitute and then using his office to cover it up. Berlusconi denies all charges and says Milan magistrates are politically biased leftists bent on destroying him. He is also battling accusations that he has failed to tackle Italy's low growth, and strains have intensified in his alliance with the pro-devolution, anti-immigrant Northern League. Data on Friday showed Italy's economy grew just 0.1 percent in the first quarter, far below Germany's 1.5 percent growth but also lagging the 0.8 percent expansion of debt-stricken Greece. The League, vital for Berlusconi's survival after he split from long-time ally Gianfranco Fini, has repeatedly distanced itself from him, notably opposing Italy's involvement in the NATO bombing of Libya. JOKES AND INVECTIVES Berlusconi has aggressively hit the campaign trail, turning the election into a vote on him rather than local issues. "A vote for Silvio" read the banner headline in Il Giornale daily, which is owned by Berlusconi's brother. "We are not being asked to judge whether a program is better than another. We are being asked whether we are for or against Berlusconi," wrote Corriere della Sera in an editorial. Using his trademark mix of jokes, invective against magistrates and opponents, and last-minute electoral pledges, he has stolen the limelight and dictated the political agenda. Over the past few days he has called prosecutors a "cancer on democracy" and said the opposition "don't wash much." In Naples, where a chronic waste disposal crisis has reappeared leaving mounds of garbage once again piled up in the streets, he promised to scrap a rubbish tax until the city is clean. He has also pledged to stop demolishing houses built illegally for a year, a significant move in a city with a long tradition of building code violations. The divided center-left, unable so far to capitalize on Berlusconi's woes, hopes to show the tide is turning. In Milan, it has pinned its hopes on Giuliano Pisapia, a lawyer who may have the best chance in years to topple the center-right city government. Incumbent mayor Letizia Moratti is seen as vulnerable because of wide middle class disappointment at her failure to modernize the northern city. Commentators say that even a run-off in Milan -- let alone Moratti's defeat -- would be a blow to Berlusconi, who launched his political career in the city where he became a billionaire. (Additional reporting by Reuters TV; Editing by Diana Abdallah) World Home Italy Tweet this Link this Share this Digg this Email Reprints We welcome comments that advance the story directly or with relevant tangential information. We try to block comments that use offensive language, all capital letters or appear to be spam, and we review comments frequently to ensure they meet our standards. If you see a comment that you believe is irrelevant or inappropriate, you can flag it to our editors by using the report abuse links. Views expressed in the comments do not represent those of Reuters. Comments (0) Be the first to comment on reuters.com. Add yours using the box above. 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