Berlusconi revives political career in chaotic Italian election ROME - Silvio Berlusconi, the three-time Italian prime minister, billionaire playboy and perpetual criminal defendant, who was all but counted out of Italian political life when a debt crisis forced his resignation in 2011, shocked the country Monday by shooting back into a position of influence. Even by the chaotic standards of Italian politics, the resurgence of Berlusconi's People of Liberty party, which seems to be in contention to win the most seats in the Italian Senate, along with the astonishingly strong showing of a naysaying protest party led by Beppe Grillo, a seething ex-comedian opposed to the euro, has cast the Italian government into confusion. There was no clear victor in Sunday and Monday's elections. There were, however, losers. The left-leaning Democratic Party, led by Pier Luigi Bersani, a former industry minister, appeared likely to win the lower House of Parliament but fell far short of expectations. On Monday night, as Bersani was left hoping to have enough support to try to form a coalition government, nervous murmuring imbued the party's victory festivities, and an empty stage draped with a sign reading "A Just Italy" was surrounded by pacing officials. Bersani, 61, is weighed down with far-left partners including Nichi Vendola, a gay, ex-communist southern governor that the Italian press once dubbed "the white Obama." Vendola once assessed himself to The Post as "beloved." He is less cherished by the potential partners Bersani needs to form a coalition, setting the stage for yet another collapse-prone Italian government. "We have a problem of governability," said the party's spokesman, Roberto Seghetti. The smallest electorate since World War II sent a clear message of dissatisfaction to the country's caretaker prime minister, Mario Monti, who was advised by David Axelrod. An international darling for his technical government's emphasis on responsibility, personal austerity but also European spending throughout the continent's bleak financial crisis, Monti proved a political flop at home and won less than 10 percent of the vote, dashing his hopes to finish a mission that counted President Obama among its supporters. "This is a very important election," said Caitlin Hayden, an Obama administration spokeswoman. We look forward to working closely with Italy's next government and its leaders when it is formed. When that would happen was far from clear. Throughout Italy, there was fear that Tuesday morning's markets would once again view Italy as unstable, prompting the sort of debt crisis that forced Berlusconi from power in November 2011. Only weeks ago, critics of Berlusconi were sure that the onetime cruise ship singer was gone from national politics for good. Berlusconi, whose last public appearances before the election included a favorable comparison between the Sicilian mafia and the Italian judicial system, had promised to forgive the building of illegal houses and personally pay about 4 billion euros worth of property taxes for Italian citizens. He also expertly benefited from the fragmentation of the Italian political universe. Where once he had seemed a relic, he is again relevant.