Italians resoundingly rejected a proposal to overhaul Italy's constitution today as voters rewarded the new government and delivered another blow to former Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi two months after he lost power.
Results from all polling stations except those overseas showed 61.7 per cent of the voters in a two-day, nationwide referendum turned down the plan to strengthen the prime minister's powers and give more autonomy to the regions.
The result was a fillip for new Prime Minister Romano Prodi, who campaigned against the changes arguing they would wreck national unity, weaken the president and cost billions of euros.
"This reinforces the [governing] coalition," Defence Minister Arturo Parisi told Sky Italia television.
The referendum was especially important to Mr Berlusconi, whose future as opposition leader could now be in doubt after he narrowly lost April's elections to the centre left.
"This is a clear defeat for Berlusconi," Oliviero Diliberto, head of the Italian Communists, said.
Alessandra Mussolini, granddaughter of wartime dictator Benito Mussolini and leader of a splinter centre-right party, said: "The entire centre right will have to take stock as one of its major planks has been rejected."
Partial results showed heavy turnout across the country and a "No" vote even in the north, where the centre right's devolution lobby was strongest.
Nearly six hours after the polls closed, Mr Berlusconi said he was "saddened" by the result. He had called an emergency meeting with members of his centre-right bloc, local news agencies added.
He pushed the constitutional changes through parliament in a flurry of activity during his last months in power, saying they would end Italy's half century of revolving-door governments.
The referendum was needed because the measure won only a narrow majority in parliament last November instead of the two-thirds support that would have triggered the changes.
"Constitutional reforms need the broadest possible support and not just that of the governing majority," Mr Prodi said, announcing that his coalition would now seek cross-party agreement on both constitutional and electoral reforms.
While Mr Prodi's centre left fought the reforms that were put to vote this week, it might support a strengthening of the prime minister's powers and a reduction in the number of lawmakers.