Berlusconi government on last legs as the people reject his key policies

THEY are calling it the Italian spring. After Silvio Berlusconi's long years in power, the votes have risen up and said they've had enough, overturning laws passed by his government to revive nuclear energy, privatise water and help him avoid prosecution.

The defeat is Mr Berlusconi's second in as many weeks after losing key local elections in his Milan power base and rubbish-strewn Naples.

After such an unusually clear-cut result in the referendum vote, Corriere della Sera yesterday concluded Italy was witnessing "The sunset of a long season."

It added: "If the local elections were a slap in the face, this is a KO for the centre-right."

The turnout of 57 per cent meant the vote was the first time since 1995 that the turnout had exceeded the 50 per cent mark needed to validate the result.

Mr Berlusconi has been slowly falling in popularity, a process that has speeded up in the past few months amid concerns over the sluggish economy and embarrassment over Mr Berlusconi's alleged efforts to cover up his relationship with an underage prostitute, with whom he is accused of having sex. He denies the charges.

Final results yesterday showed overwhelming majorities of those voting chose to throw out two laws to privatise water, kill a law reviving nuclear energy and undo the so-called "legitimate impediment" law offering the Italian leader a partial shield from criminal prosecutions.

In what amounted to a concession speech, Berlusconi said "the high turnout for the referendums demonstrates that the desire of citizens to participate in the decisions about our future cannot be ignored."

Some analysts compared the result to a 1974 vote approving divorce that spelled the beginning of the end for the Christian Democrats, and the 1991 vote on electoral law that undermined socialist leader Bettino Craxi.

"This is our spring," said Ugo Mattei, a lawyer and contributor to Italy's left-wing Il Manifesto who led the fight against water privatisation.

Mr Mattei said: "We are saying the private sector is the problem not the solution."

The referendum also delineates the loss of influence of television - a media strongly associated with Silvio Berlusconi.

Communications professor Michele Sorice estimated that 1.8 million to 2m voters were reached by social media in targeted, viral marketing campaigns, which were important because the referendum campaigners didn't have money for traditional TV and print ads.

"The referendum represents the first example of the transformation of Italian politics," Mr Sorice said.For Berlusconi, who has been in power for eight of the past ten years and whose term ends in 2013, there is no immediate threat of being toppled.

But his majority will be tested next week in a parliamentary debate on new government appointments. His chief ally, the Northern League, is clearly worried. Already newspapers are reporting the League may push for early elections.

But leading political commentator Stefano Folli warned that the referendum was not a plebiscite for the centre-left.

He said: "It was not a vote in favour of anybody."