Alliance

Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi has made an alliance with the party of the granddaughter of Fascist leader Benito Mussolini.

Alessandra Mussolini has agreed to withdraw from the elections, along with the leaders of two neo-fascist parties.

(...)

Mr Berlusconi has denied embracing the far-right as a bid to bolster support.

"We have reached an accord on the programme between the House of Freedoms and Alternativa Sociale," he told a joint news conference.

Ms Mussolini's move apparently came after Mr Berlusconi urged her not to include certain people on her electoral list - such as candidates from the Forza Nuova (New Force) and the Fronte Sociale Nazionale (National Social Front).