By Stephen Brown and Silvia Aloisi
ROME (Reuters) - Italians voted on Sunday in aparliamentary election that could bring conservative mediamagnate Silvio Berlusconi back to power for the third time todeal with a deep economic and social malaise.
The 71-year-old billionaire's main challenger iscentre-left leader Walter Veltroni, a former communist whoportrays himself as a man of change, although his campaignpromises of modest tax cuts and getting tough on crime aresimilar to Berlusconi's.
Many of Italy's 47 million voters were gloomy about theprospects for economic recovery and political stability as theychose their 62nd government since World War Two, especially aselection laws make it hard for anyone to win a clear majority.
The centre-left coalition government led by Romano Prodilasted just 20 months before it collapsed in January with Italysliding towards economic recession.
"I don't care who wins. I just want a government thatlasts," said 54-year-old teacher Francesco Antonazzi, voting inRome after booths opened at 8 a.m. (7 a.m. British time).Voting ends at 3 p.m. on Monday and the result could be clear afew hours later.
Berlusconi, the only man in 50 years to have lasted a fullterm as prime minister, was applauded as he swept past votersin Milan, cast his ballot and kissed a three-year-old boy.
"Save us, Silvio," one voter shouted.
Veltroni, 52, the low-key leader of the Democratic Partyand former mayor of Rome, waited in a long queue in the Italiancapital until officials let him through to vote.
He said only: "I hope it goes well."
Berlusconi, one of Italy's richest men, led in opinionpolls but his campaign at times lacked the flamboyance that wonhim power in 1994 and 2001, when he wet on to serve the fullterm.
The usually smooth-talking leader also made severalapparent slips that could cost him votes, including insultingpopular soccer player Francesco Totti for backing the centreleft.
PHOTO FINISH?
Italy's morale has been battered by the struggle to find abuyer for loss-making airline Alitalia, a garbage crisis inNaples, a health scare over mozzarella cheese and gloomy newsfor the fourth largest economy in the European Union.
The International Monetary Fund sees just 0.3 percentgrowth this year for Italy, which lags its euro zone partnersand has the world's third-highest debt in absolute terms.
Berlusconi and Veltroni both promised modest tax cuts aimedat spurring consumption. They have also both said Italy needsmore police to tackle crime.
The winner's ability to head off a recession could behampered by a complex election law -- introduced by Berlusconi-- making it hard to win a clear majority in the upper house.
Rome builder Luciano di Pasquale, 55, voted for Berlusconibecause he believed the conservative leader was more likely toimprove employment and wages. "I don't like the way Prodigoverned and Veltroni is just more of the same," he said.
Ruggero Bianchi, 63, voted for Veltroni, who also has thebacking of Hollwood actor George Clooney. "I have faith in theDemocratic Party but I don't think the next government is goingto last more than the last one," Bianchi said in Rome.
A third of voters were expected to decide at the lastminute who to back. Many saw little difference between theplatforms.
"Yet again we're voting and what has changed? Nothing,"said Mila Sabattini, 35, in Milan. "Mine will be a protestvote."
A close race could force the winner into a coalition dealwith smaller parties. Veltroni and Berlusconi, the onlycandidates with a genuine chance of being prime minister, havedenied they would form a coalition together.
(Additional reporting by Iain Rogers in Rome, GillesCastonguay and Marie Louise Gumuchian in Milan; Writing byStephen Brown; Editing by Timothy Heritage)
For more coverage of Italy's election, check out:http://blogs.reuters.com/italia/
