The BBC reports based on exit polls that Prodi will get 50-54 percent, Berlusconi 45-49 percent in the Italian election.
Why that would be good news for Italy and Europe? Start here: Berlusconi’s system has post-democratic features, argues Die Zeit’s editor. Berlusconism shows that democracy can be threatened from the middle, not only from extremists.
For an earlier, in-depth analysis of the Italian media system, see John Lloyd’s A European media manifesto.