The man expected to become Italy's next prime minister won't pound the bully pulpit like Silvio Berlusconi. He won't claim to be the Jesus Christ of politics, or praise Barack Obama's "tan", and it's highly unlikely you'll bump into him at an all-night bunga bunga party. No, Pier Luigi Bersani is seen as a safe pair of hands -- and now, after a lifetime in politics, the 61-year-old leader of the center-left Democratic Party is hoping to hang on to a lead in the polls that bombastic three-time former premier Berlusconi had all but wiped out in the dying days of the campaign.
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Center-left Democratic Party leader Pier Luigi Bersani, 61, expected to win election
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Cigar-smoking ex-communist has spent career in politics, served in three cabinets
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Bersani said he'd continue Monti's budget cuts, but that stimulus is needed too
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After years of turbulent ex-premier Berlusconi, Bersani is seen as pair of safe hands
Monti
And while @placeholder may have some say in the new Italian government, it is career politician Bersani who will bear the burden of pulling Italy out of the mire.
Pier Luigi Bersani
Pier Luigi Bersani
Bersani
Bersani
And while Monti may have some say in the new Italian government, it is career politician @placeholder who will bear the burden of pulling Italy out of the mire.
Italy
But his nomination might also say as much about @placeholder's current political climate as it does about the candidates.
Italy
"@placeholder are nervous, anxious and exhausted, the mood is the same everywhere.
Silvio Berlusconi
Berlusconi
"There's a lot of pessimism about the next government, and the problem Bersani's got has been the failure of the left to deal with @placeholder," Andrews said.