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Italy's populist Five Star movement set to win most seats for a single party — but election is likely to end in hung parliament

Complete poll results will be released Monday morning local time.

  • Italy voted in a national election on Sunday, with polls closing at 11 p.m. local time.
  • Early exit polls suggest no party will have enough votes to form a majority government, but the populist Five Star party looks set to win the most seats for a single party.
  • Immigration tops the list of priorities for Italian voters, followed by unemployment and the economy.
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Exit polls suggest a hung parliament is a possibility after Italy went to the polls on Sunday.

Polls for the national election closed at 11 p.m. local time, and full results will be released Monday morning.

Latest figures from local media show Berlusconi’s Forza Italia party and his center-right coalition winning most parliamentary seats, with anti-establishment Five-Star party placing second, and the center-left bloc placing third.

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Five-Star is expected to be the biggest single party, but will likely not win an absolute majority required to win.

Analysts long said it was unclear who would emerge victorious, according to the BBC.

The new Italian parliament does not sit until March 23. Following that, the President will give a mandate to party leaders in an attempt to form a coalition.

Several coalition prospects have been touted, including Berlusconi's Forza Italia attempting a grand coalition with the Democratic Party in a continuation of the current government.

Experts suggest it may be time before a final outcome is decided upon, and whether new elections will be held should the parties fail to reach a coalition deal.

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In terms of voter priorities, immigration topped the list. Since 2013, more than 600,000 migrants have reached Italy and the influx has upset many voters, with politicians toughening their stance as a result.

Unemployment and issues relating to economic growth are also high on voters' agenda, with Italy's

This is a developing story, for further updates

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