RELIEF

Napolitano's victory will have come as a huge relief for Prodi as it showed he does have the political stature to rally his troops to defeat Berlusconi who remains a strong force as head of the single biggest party in parliament.

But his inability to get his candidate elected in the early rounds has highlighted the problems he may face in pushing through his policy agenda with only a wafer-thin majority made up of diverse parties ranging from the center to the hard left.

Napolitano, a former house speaker and interior minister who was appointed to the rare honorary position of senator for life last year, is expected to be sworn in next Monday as Italy's 11th post-World War Two head of state.

The post of president is largely ceremonial but the head of state has the power to name the prime minister, dissolve parliament and send legislation back to parliament.