Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi officially resigns

Matteo Renzi.
(Image credit: Franco Origlia/Getty Images)

Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi has officially resigned, according to a statement from the nation's president's office.

Renzi's resignation, first announced Monday, follows a heavy defeat in his referendum on constitutional reform. Renzi said he took "full responsibility" for the loss, adding, "We gave the Italians an opportunity to change, but we didn't succeed."

Renzi took office two-and-a-half years ago. Italian President Sergio Mattarella, whose role in the nation is primarily ceremonial, will select a new prime minister — Italy's fifth in as many years — with elections not scheduled until 2018.

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE
https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516.jpg

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up

Continue reading for free

We hope you're enjoying The Week's refreshingly open-minded journalism.

Subscribed to The Week? Register your account with the same email as your subscription.

Jeva Lange

Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.