Italy’s Democrats reject kingmaker role after Renzi resigns
MILAN — Former Italian Premier Matteo Renzi formally resigned Monday as leader of the Democratic Party following its crushing election defeat, with the interim leader maintaining the party line of refusing a kingmaker role in a new Italian government.
No party or coalition won enough votes to govern alone in the March 4 parliamentary vote, setting the stage for arduous talks to see if either the anti-establishment 5-Star Movement or the centre-right coalition led by the anti-immigrant League can form a stable government.
The 5-Stars won the most votes of any party, and the coalition would control more seats in parliament as a bloc.
Maurizio Martina, the outgoing agriculture minister who was named as the Democratic Party’s interim leader, made clear that the centre-left would not take part in any new government, as Renzi had insisted before his resignation.