Parliamentary elections begin in Italy

The parliamentary elections begin in Italy, amid efforts to tackle the country’s economic woes.

The elections on Sunday are crucial for Italy’s efforts to tackle the economic problems.

Polls show that a center-left alliance led by Pier Luigi Bersani is a few points ahead of former Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi’s center-right bloc.

A centrist coalition led by outgoing Prime Minister Mario Monti is also running.

“Elections are a fundamental moment for a democracy and we want all our citizens to experience them in the best way possible,” said Italian Interior Minister Anna Maria Cancellieri.

The unpopular austerity measures have caused widespread public anger in Italy.

Italy started to experience recession after its economy contracted by 0.2 percent in the third quarter of 2011 and by 0.7 percent in the fourth quarter of 2011.

Europe plunged into financial crisis in early 2008. The worsening debt crisis has forced the EU governments to adopt harsh austerity measures, which have triggered incidents of social unrest and protests in many European countries.