Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte stepped down from his post on Tuesday, plunging the country into political uncertainty amid the Coronavirus pandemic.
Conte, who has been leading the country since 2018, submitted his resignation to the country’s President Sergio Mattarella following a Cabinet meeting, with Mattarella set to begin consultations with the leaders of the country’s main political parties on Wednesday afternoon, according to a statement by the Presidency.
Italy was thrown into political uncertainty earlier in January, when the former Prime Minister and leader of the Italia Viva party, Matteo Renzi withdrew from the government coalition over Conte’s handling of the Coronavirus pandemic, which has left which has left more than 85,000 people dead in the country. Conte survived a confidence vote both in the lower house and the Senate, however, without an absolute majority in the latter.
It is unclear whether he will manage to return with a reshuffled government or if snap elections will be called.