Reform Minister Maria Elena
Boschi on Wednesday announced that the government was putting
its 2017 budget bill to a confidence vote in the Senate.
Premier Matteo Renzi has announced he is quitting after his
flagship Constitutional reform was rejected by close to 60% of
voters in Sunday's referendum, but has held off the resignation
at President Sergio Mattarella's request until the budget is
passed.
Renzi faces a crunch meeting of the his centre-left
Democratic Party (PD) later on Wednesday.
The party is split between Renzi supporters and a minority
of left-wing dissenters who spearheaded internal opposition to
him and openly called for a 'No' vote in the referendum.
The outgoing premier is reportedly set to propose either a
government of national responsibility with the participation of
as many other parties as possible, or early elections.
However, Mattarella is said to be against holding a national
election before the electoral laws for the Lower House and the
Senate are made consistent with one another.
The 'Italicum' system is designed only to apply to the Lower
House as, under the Constitutional reform rejected on Sunday,
the Senate was meant to revamped and made up of regional
representatives.
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