© Andreas Solaro/AFP/Getty ImagesThe party led by comedian Beppe Grillo, who says Italy should ditch the euro, performed well in local elections.
The Italian comedian Beppe Grillo has promised that his fledgling party is heading for parliament after his candidates rode a wave of protest against austerity politics and Italy's traditional parties in local elections.
"We will see you in parliament," he tweeted, suggesting his Five Star Movement party will field candidates in national elections in 2013.
The comic campaigns on green issues, fights corruption and has recently criticised Mario Monti's unpopular tax hikes, as well as claiming Italy should ditch the euro. His party took 14% of the vote in Genoa, 9% in Verona and 19% in Parma, where it forced the mainstream Democratic party into a runoff.
In all those towns, Grillo's mayoral candidates trounced Silvio Berlusconi's Freedom People party, which was subjected to humiliating defeats in its first electoral contest since the former prime minister stepped down to make way in November for Monti's technocrat government, which did not stand in the elections.
In Parma, where the Berlusconi-backed administration has been hit by a corruption scandal, the party polled a meagre 4.7%.
Berlusconi, who has kept a low profile this year, decided to attend Vladimir Putin's swearing in as Russian president in Moscow instead of awaiting results in Italy. His former defence minister, Ignazio La Russa, blamed his party's defeat on its "mania" for "pretty faces" - a central tenet of Berlusconi's political ethos.
Turnout was down by just over 6% to 67% among the 9.5 million Italians eligible to vote in the 942 municipalities contested.
But apart from Grillo's anti-tax rhetoric, the election did not give a clearcut verdict on Monti's package of spending cuts and tax hikes.
The centre-left Democratic party - which has backed the prime minister - held its support, beating Berlusconi in key cities, although in Palermo its candidate was pushed into second place by Leoluca Orlando, a former mayor running with the Italy of Values party. A runoff vote will now be held.
Despite its resolute opposition to Monti, the Northern League - Berlusconi's former partner in government - was humiliated at the polls as well, even losing Cassano Magnago, the home town of its former party leader Umberto Bossi. The losses were worsened by a scandal over misused funds involving Bossi's family and close associates.
Political observers said the vote could weaken Monti's influence over parties in parliament on whom he relies for support.
The Democratic leader, Pier Luigi Bersani, said his party's healthy showing meant the prime minister "must now listen to us more".
Angelino Alfano, secretary of the Freedom People, said his party would continue to back Monti but "will not give its support to unvotable measures", adding that he would pull out of regular cross-party talks which have hitherto backed Monti.
"As of yesterday, it seems Monti is now more alone," stated the Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera in a front-page editorial. "After shielding the parties, he risks becoming their target."
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