Silvio Berlusconi, preparing to return for a third time as prime minister after his decisive defeat of the centre-left government, on Tuesday laid out his plans to build and modernise Italy’s economy while “closing the frontiers” to jobless foreigners.

With almost all results counted from voting on Sunday and Monday, Mr Berlusconi’s centre-right coalition will have a majority of more than 100 seats in the lower house and some 30 seats in the Senate.