Italian voters have dealt Premier Silvio Berlusconi a political drubbing in a referendum on legislation proposed by his right-wing administration, final results released on Monday showed.
Overwhelming majorities of those casting ballots chose to throw out two laws to privatise the water supply, kill a law reviving nuclear energy, and undo a law offering Mr Berlusconi a partial legal shield in criminal prosecutions.
The billionaire media mogul is currently facing four trials over his business dealings, abuse of office and paying a minor for sex.
Each referendum passed with about 95 per cent of the votes.
Voter turnout topped 57 per cent, safely reaching the 50 per cent plus one voter quorum to validate the referendums for the first time since 1995.
As the extent of his defeat became clear just two weeks after his candidates lost key local elections, Mr Berlusconi's office released a statement acknowledging that, "Italians have made their position clear.
"The government and parliament will now have to take into account this result."
At a later joint news conference with visiting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu Mr Berlusconi conceded that Italy "will now have to bid farewell to the question of nuclear power plants."
The referendum - which has turned out to be a simple no confidence vote in Silvio Berlusconi - was only set in train because Italian activists managed to collect the half a million signatures needed to trigger a vote.
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