Premier Silvio Berlusconi launched a last-minute appeal to undecided voters today as the conservative media mogul and his centre-left opponent wrapped up a bitter campaign ahead of a general election on Sunday and Monday.
Italian premier Silvio Berlusconi
Mr Berlusconi was heading south to Naples to hold a final rally before his supporters. Centre-left leader Romano Prodi chose a piazza in downtown Rome for his final campaign stop.
"Go to the polls," Mr Berlusconi told his supporters during a radio show, afraid that a low turnout might favour the opposition and raising the possibility of defeat for the second time in as many days.
"If by any chance too many voters stay home, there might even be the possibility of a victory for the left." In a separate interview the premier addressed the "undecided and the disappointed," saying they are decisive.
He also appealed to Catholic voters, claiming his coalition is the only one that represents their interests, and contending the opposition includes "priest eaters" - a term used to indicate those who oppose the Catholic Church's influence on Italian society.
Mr Berlusconi's appeal underscored the importance of moderate undecided voters, estimated to be a double-digit percentage and a slice of the electorate that will be crucial in determining what is expected to be a close election.
The election caps a particularly acrimonious campaign, largely consumed by mudslinging and almost devoid of substantial discussion about the country's needs.
Mr Berlusconi has campaigned aggressively, trying to close the gap that opinion polls have shown between his conservative bloc and the opposition. A poll blackout entered into force late last month, and campaigning is forbidden the day before the election and as long as polls are open.
"It has been a bitter, tough, unfair campaign," Mr Prodi was quoted as saying by the ANSA news agency. He added: "I have great confidence in the Italian people, they are a serious people."