Premier Matteo Renzi has said he will hand his resignation to President Sergio Mattarella on Monday after the No vote won Sunday's Constitutional referendum.
The outgoing premier told a news conference he took "all the responsibility" after his government's Constitutional reform was rejected by close to 60% of voters. The Italian people had spoken "in a clear, unequivocal way" he said. "We took this reform to the vote, we weren't convincing, but we leave with no regrets," Renzi told reporters. "As was clear from the start, my experience in government finishes here... I'm proud that of the opportunity the government gave the citizens to express themselves about the reform. Many people came closer to the Constitution (as a result)."
Renzi went to the Quirinal palace on Monday morning and had over one hour of talks with Mattarella, sources within the ruling majority said.
One of the possible outcomes is that Mattarella will give someone a mandate to form a caretaker government to pass the budget bill and pass a new election law.
The names of Economy Minister Pier Carlo Padoan, Culture Minister Dario Franceschini and Senate Speaker Pietro Grasso have been mentioned as possible heads of a caretaker government.
Reform Minister Maria Elena Boschi, said the government would work "to serve institutions" and pass its budget bill. "Pity. We had imagined waking up to something different: simplified institutions in Italy, a stronger country in Europe," Boschi wrote on her Facebook page. "It didn't go that way. The No vote won, full stop. Now to work to serve the institutions. We'll secure this budget bill.
Then we'll publish a summary of the many things this government has done. To all the committees, to all the friends that gave us a hand, thank you. We'll decide together how to start again, once the disappointment is over. A hug".
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