Italian Premier Giuseppe Conte has told senators he is handing in his resignation because his right-wing coalition partner, the League party led by Interior Minister Matteo Salvini, has decided to yank its support for the populist government.
Conte said he will go later Tuesday to officially inform Italian President Sergio Mattarella of his decision. Mattarella, as head of state, could ask Conte to stay on and try to find an alternative majority in Parliament, or accept his resignation and see if some other leader can forge an alternative coalition.
Failing that, Mattarella could dissolve Parliament, setting the stage for a new general election as early as October.
Italian Premier Giuseppe Conte addresses the Senate as Deputy-Premier Matteo Salvini its a coffee while sitting beside him, in Rome, Tuesday, Aug. 20, 2019. The political showdown on Tuesday was triggered two weeks ago by hard-line Interior Minister Matteo Salvini, known across Europe for his tough stance against migrants, when he pulled the plug on the shaky populist coalition forged only 14 months earlier between his right-wing League and the anti-establishment 5-Star Movement. (AP PhotoGregorio Borgia)
Italian Premier Giuseppe Conte, center, greets Deputy Premier and Interior Minister Matteo Salvini, as he arrive to address the Senate, in Rome, Tuesday, Aug. 20, 2019. Italian Premier Conte blasted the League's leader Salvini for his decision to spark a government crisis that risks triggering "a spiral of political and financial instability." (Ettore FerrariANSA via AP)
Italian Premier Giuseppe Conte addresses the Senate as Deputy-Premier Matteo Salvini kisses a rosary while sitting beside him, in Rome, Tuesday, Aug. 20, 2019. Italian Premier Conte blasted the League's leader Salvini for his decision to spark a government crisis that risks triggering "a spiral of political and financial instability." (AP PhotoGregorio Borgia)