A right-wing alliance led by former Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi's Forza Italia took the lead in Italy's general election, according to preliminary results published Monday morning, but the country now faces a hung parliament and a struggle for power.

Forza Italia, the far-right Northern League and Brothers of Italy together took about 37 percent of the vote, followed by the euroskeptic 5-Star Movement (M5S) with about 32 percent.

Read more: Luigi Di Maio: The populist leader eyeing victory in Rome

Matteo Salvini's right-wing, anti-immigrant Northern League took 18 percent, surpassing Berlusconi's Forza Italia party, which took less than 14 percent, according to the partial results. Berlusconi had expected to dominate the alliance.

Salvini said Monday that his coalition had the "right and the duty" to form a government and staked his claim for the leadership.

Read more: Matteo Salvini: Italy's far-right sucess story

The ruling center-left Democratic Party (PD) came in a distant third at 23 percent, leading leader Matteo Renzi to reportedly announce his resignation.

Read more: Italy's 5-Star Movement feeds on voters' anger

A Femen activist tried to interrupt Berlusconi as he cast his ballot on Sunday

Hung parliament?

Despite Berlusconi's alliance leading the polls as anticipated, it falls short of the 40 percent necessary to govern. If the final count results in a hung parliament, Italian President Sergio Mattarella will likely have to form the next government. Italy's 2013 election also resulted in a hung parliament, prompting then-President Giorgio Napolitano to handpick the next government.

Analysts have speculated that Mattarella may choose outgoing Prime Minster Paolo Gentiloni of PD to lead a government if it comes down to it. Polls published before the election suggested Gentiloni was the most-liked Italian politician across party lines.

MS5 leader Luigi Di Maio said on Monday his party was ready to assume leadership and that it was willing to negotiate with any other party. This put MS5 and the Northern League in direct competition for power.

Read more: Italy — Crisis? What crisis?

Democracy Italian style: The weirdest moments of Italy's election campaign He's back, and this time he's a vegetarian Last Easter, in an attempt to soften his image as he eyed a return to politics, Berlusconi took part in an ad promoting vegetarianism that featured him snuggling lambs in soft lighting overlaid with easy listening music. Although Berlusconi is barred from seeking office for another year due to a fraud conviction, a bloc led by his Forza Italia party has been polling strongly.

Democracy Italian style: The weirdest moments of Italy's election campaign 'No one will marry you' Berlusconi is well known for offensive remarks and belittling women, so it's no surprise he did both in one go on the campaign trail. Earlier in February, he told a BBC journalist that her handshake was too manly; "Otherwise men will think, this one is going to beat me up, and no one will marry you."

Democracy Italian style: The weirdest moments of Italy's election campaign Win (a date with) Salvini! Matteo Salvini of the far-right Northern League came up with a humble publicity stunt – whoever likes his Facebook posts can win a chance to take a picture with "the captain", talk to him on the phone, or meet in private. He was lambasted on social media and by Italy's La Repubblica daily, which wrote: "The captain? Even Silvio Berlusconi in his golden age would envy this kind of self-regard."

Democracy Italian style: The weirdest moments of Italy's election campaign Think about it! If ex-PM Matteo Renzi was hoping to make a big splash with this tepid ad in which — surprise! — he shows up on a bike and tells a family to "think about" voting for him, then he was certainly successful. Just not perhaps in the way he wanted. The staggeringly lackluster TV spot was parodied countless times on social media.

Democracy Italian style: The weirdest moments of Italy's election campaign Just us kids Luigi di Maio of Italy's anti-establishment Five Star Movement (M5S) has repeatedly used his age of only 31 to try and connect with younger voters and is prolific on social media. One of his most cringeworthy attempts to relate to millennial voters came in a video he posted to Instagram in which he said M5S would make Italy "fly high," before "flying" himself in an entertainment complex.

Democracy Italian style: The weirdest moments of Italy's election campaign Pope: Fake news is like being aroused by feces After the US election, the Pope warned about the spread of fake news in Italy and its undue influence. He called untrue, sensational stories "the greatest damage the media can do," in an interview with the Catholic weekly Tertio. "I think the media...must not fall into – no offense intended – the sickness of coprophilia," he said, using a more polite term for an abnormal interest in faeces.

Democracy Italian style: The weirdest moments of Italy's election campaign Prime Minister Oliver? Comedian and pundit John Oliver brought the tumultous Italian election to the attention of a wider audience in one of his famous TV segments, skewering Berlusconi. Oliver's solution to Italy's unwieldy democracy? Encouraging Italian lawmakers to appoint him: "Incredibly, I am far from your worst option," he joked while cuddling a lamb. Author: Elizabeth Schumacher



Renzi steps down

PD, which leads Italy's outgoing government, has signaled that it may position itself as an opposition party in parliament.

"If this is the result, for us it is a defeat and we will move into the opposition," said PD parliament leader Ettore Rosato.

Ansa news agency later reported that PD leader Matteo Renzi will now resign.

However his spokesman told DPA newsagency he was "not aware" of his boss' resignation plans.

Read more: Italy warns of 'influence campaigns' ahead of election

Market drops

Shares, bonds and the euro all weakened after the election count, worried about the possibility of an administration led by eurosceptic parties promising to ramp up spending.

Salvini has called the Euro currency a mistake and criticized European Union restrictions on national budgets.

Europe responds

German Chancellor Angela Merkel wished Italy success in forming a "stable government" quicker than the six months it took her took to form one, her spokesman Steffen Seibert said.

"Italy is our friend and partner, and we wish those responsible success in forming a stable government, for the benefit of Italians as well as of our common Europe," Seibert said.

French President Emmanuel Macron said he was "cautious at this stage" but stressed that Italy had clearly suffered from the migrant crisis, presumably referring to a surge in anti-immigrant sentiment. "We must keep that in mind" as a backdrop to the election, he said.

Luxembourg Foreign Minister Jean Asselborn said the result happened because of the EU's failure to reform its migration system, under which Rome has had to deal with a vast influx of migrants.

aw, ls/rt (AFP, dpa, Reuters, AP)

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