Photo taken on Jan. 19, 2021 showed Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte attends a debate ahead of a confidence vote in Senate in Rome, Italy. (Pool via Xinhua)
Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte has met with President Sergio Mattarella to hand in his resignation, the Italian government said in a statement after a cabinet meeting on Tuesday.
Conte "has expressed ... his intention to ... submit his resignation", the statement said.
Mattarella has confirmed Conte's resignation. "Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte has offered his resignation," Mattarella's office said in a statement.
"The President of the Republic has reserved the right to decide and has invited the government to remain in office for the time being to take care of day-to-day business," the statement said.
It is now up to Mattarella to sound out Italy's political forces in order to form a new government to guide the country through the end of the current legislature's natural five-year term in March 2023.
Mattarella's statement said he will begin consultations with Italy's various political leaders on Jan. 27. If Mattarella's efforts fail and no new governing coalition can be found, Italian voters will be called to a snap general election.
Italy's last general election was held in March 2018.
Conte last week requested and won two confidence votes in both houses of parliament after a junior member of his ruling coalition, the Italia Viva party led by former Prime Minister Matteo Renzi, withdrew its backing earlier this month.
