Italian PM resigns after parliament passes budget

BEIJING. December 22. KAZINFORM Italian Prime Minister Mario Monti has tendered his resignation to President Giorgio Napolitano, paving the way for national elections in February, according to Xinhuanet.
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Donato Marra, Secretary General of Italian President's Office, said, "The President of the Republic Giorgio Napolitano received today at the presidential palace at 19:00 the prime minister, Senator Mario Monti, who, following the parliament's approval of the budget law, tendered his resignation for the government he presides over."

Napolitano is expected to dissolve parliament in the next few days. He has already indicated that the most likely date for the election is February the 24th. He will begin consultations with political leaders on Saturday to discuss the next steps, and in the meantime, he has asked Monti to continue in a caretaker capacity.

Monti handed in his resignation during a brief meeting at the president's palace, shortly after parliament approved his government's 2013 budget. The widely anticipated move comes after Monti's technocrat government lost the support of Silvio Berlusconi's centre-right People of Freedom Party in parliament earlier this month. Monti is due to hold a news conference on Sunday where he is expected to outline his future intentions.

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