Three deadlines are approaching on the turbulent Italian political agenda. First is former premier Silvio Berlusconi's future of either house arrest or social services. Second is the government's proposed reduction in size and scope of the Italian Senate. Third is a European Parliamentary vote that will be viewed as a litmus test of the relative strengths of the Italian parties. At the moment Premier Matteo Renzi's Partito Democratico has a healthy lead, but Beppe Grillo's Movimento Cinque Stelle and Silvio Berlusconi's reborn Forza Italia are increasingly vying for second place.