The landscape is further complicated by the extraordinary success of the protest movement of Beppe Grillo.
Most striking is the Cinque Stelle, or 5-Star, movement, organised by satirist and comedian Beppe Grillo.
Opinion polls suggested there would be a strong turnout for comedian Beppe Grillo's anti-establishment movement.
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The wild-card party of Beppe Grillo, the grass-roots Five-Star Movement, will also not enter into an alliance.
There is one leader who does not wear a Marinella tie - Beppe Grillo doesn't do ties.
The wild card in this campaign is Beppe Grillo, a comedian who rages against the political establishment.
Led by its guiding star, the comedian-turned politician Beppe Grillo, it was born and bred on the internet.
Stefano Rodota, the candidate backed by former comic Beppe Grillo's 5-Star Movement, came in second place with 240 votes.
As well as talks with Mr Bersani on Thursday, Mr Napolitano will consult with Mr Berlusconi and Beppe Grillo.
Many demonstrators were supporters of Beppe Grillo, the leader of the 5-Star Movement.
One unanswered question is whether Beppe Grillo will be open to a deal.
M5S grew out of the equally remarkable success of an anti-establishment blog written by Beppe Grillo, a comedian (pictured above).
Lawmakers from Parliament's third-largest bloc, the anti-establishment 5 Star Movement led by comic-turned-political agitator Beppe Grillo, galvanized supporters for the protest.
Five Star, led by former comedian Beppe Grillo, won an unexpected 25% in the election and holds the balance of power.
Efforts by centre-left leader Pier Luigi Bersani to forge a political agreement with the anti-establishment Beppe Grillo have so far been rebuffed.
Beppe Grillo has been one of the stories of this Italian election.
Beppe Grillo, the leader of the Five Star Movement, is too distractive.
Both the Silvio Berlusconi and Beppe Grillo political camps opposed some of the tax hikes and public spending cuts instituted by Mr Monti.
The election is a four-horse race between political coalitions led by Bersani, Berlusconi, Monti, and the anti-establishment movement led by ex-comedian Beppe Grillo.
Its latest poll ratings were little better than those of the maverick Five Star Movement led by Beppe Grillo, a blogger and comedian.
Projections also showed Beppe Grillo's Five-Star Movement winning 24.6% of the vote in the Senate, which would make it the second-largest party in Italy.
On September 8th Beppe Grillo, a comedian, set out to gather signatures for a petition calling for changes to the electoral and parliamentary rules.
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The protest group Five Stars Movement led by former comedian Beppe Grillo garnered a quarter of the vote, but has refused to support either group.
But due to the strong showing of Beppe Grillo's anti-establishment Five-Star Movement, no party won enough votes to command a clear majority in the Senate.
Italy's elections are turning into a four-way fight, with the anti-establishment Five Star Movement led by Beppe Grillo, a comedian-activist, polling around 15 per cent.
Political analysts say the revelations could play in favor of Beppe Grillo, a popular former comedian who leads an antiestablishment party that rails against national elites.
But if he shuns Berlusconi, Bersani will need to win support from Parliament's new third bloc, a populist, anti-euro movement founded by comic-turned-political leader Beppe Grillo.
The only campaign to have really radiated energy and enthusiasm has been conducted by the "Five Star" citizens' movement, headed by the comedian-turned politician, Beppe Grillo.
The first is a revival of protest movements, such as the one led by Beppe Grillo, a comedian and blogger, which are disgruntled with the entire system.
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