Matteo Renzi quits again, prompting Italy to begin search for new prime minister
Renzi will stay in a caretaker’s role at the request of Italy’s president until a new government can be formed
Italian Premier Matteo Renzi resigned on Wednesday evening, his self-inflicted penalty for staking his job on constitutional changes voters resoundingly rejected earlier in the week. He will stay in a caretaker’s role at the request of Italy’s president until a new government can be formed.
Renzi had first offered his resignation on Monday, shortly after voters rejected the constitutional reforms his centre-left government had championed. President Sergio Mattarella, Italy’s head of state, told him to stay in office until Parliament completed approval of the 2017 national budget.
A few hours after the budget was passed on Wednesday, Renzi returned to the Quirinal presidential palace. This time, Mattarella accepted the resignation of the man who in February 2014 became Italy’s youngest premier at age 39.
A presidential palace official, Ugo Zampetti, told reporters that Mattarella would begin consultations Thursday with the heads of Parliament’s two chambers, as well as with former President Giorgio Napolitano.
The ball’s in President Sergio Mattarella’s court. As far as we go, never, never would a second mandate to Renzi [be acceptable]
After hearing out minor parties on Friday, Mattarella on Saturday plans to take proposals from the major players, including the Democratic Party that Renzi leads and the populist Five Star Movement, Parliament’s No. 1 and No. 2 parties respectively.