The centre left clinched the key run-off race in local elections held on Sunday and Monday but opposition leader Silvio Berlusconi said his coalition's victories elsewhere confirmed the country was fed up with Premier Romano Prodi's government.
The centre left won the major showdown in the province of Genoa and held on to Piacenza, Pistoia and Taranto.
"This was a hard-won battle but we've given the national government a big hand with the victory in the Genoa province," said Liguria region President Claudio Burlando.
But the centre right made gains elsewhere, as it did in the first round of local elections on May 27-28, when it snatched 13 provincial capitals against six for the governing coalition.
Centre-right mayors were returned to office in Parma, Lucca, Latina and Oristano, giving the opposition five important cities compared to three for the centre left.
"The centre left's time is running out," said Berlusconi.
Government MPs accused the opposition of crying wolf, saying results across the country showed the blocs had come up with a tie.
Democratic Left House Whip Titti Di Salvo said the local elections "clearly showed that voters had not 'ousted' the Prodi government out of office, as Berlusconi claims."
Centrist Justice Minister Clemente Mastella said the centre left had "avoided a Waterloo".
Opinion polls show that due to coalition infighting, Prodi's government has effectively lost support - especially in the richer northern regions - since it squeaked to victory in Italy's general election in April 2006.
A survey published by Corriere della Sera last month showed that two out of three Italians felt Prodi's performance in his first year had been either 'bad' or 'disappointing'.
The premier placed most of the blame for the first round election defeat on the failure of his cabinet and allies to project the right image of unity, decisiveness and dynamism.
"How can you project an image of good government when your ministers and allies are the first to dismantle the measures that you take? The dissent is now preceding the measures that people are dissenting from."
The premier was referring to tensions in his coalition over issues ranging from unwed couples and pensions to foreign policy and the new Democratic Party that he is trying to get off the ground.
But shortly after results of Monday's results trickled in, Berlusconi said voters were unhappy over the centre left's tax hikes and its failure to deal effectively with rising criminality and illegal immigration.
He accused the centrists and moderate leftists in Prodi's nine-way coalition of being hostages of "marxists and die-hards".
In the run-up to the run-offs, the opposition said that the government should throw in the towel if the vote showed that it had lost large swathes of support.
Berlusconi has repeatedly cited one poll putting his coalition at 57% across the nation and the centre left at 43%.
Sandro Bondi, coordinator for Berlusconi's Forza Italia party said the media magnate-turned politician would see President Giorgio Napolitano to discuss the "gravity of the political situation which needs changing".
Berlusconi is expected to meet with Northern League leader Umberto Bossi later on Monday to decide whether to request a meeting with Napolitano.
Bossi says new elections should be held as soon as possible.
Prodi has already stated firmly that has no intention of quitting, saying that local elections were not a "test" for his government.
Nevertheless, some members of the opposition have been calling for a transitional government which should focus on approving a new electoral law before it ferries the country towards general elections.
