Italian president ask prime minister to delay resignation
Italy's president has asked Premier Matteo Renzi to delay stepping down until parliament can pass a critical budget law due later this month.
The presidential palace said Italy's head of state, President Sergio Mattarella, met Mr Renzi this evening at the presidential palace in Rome.
The palace said Mr Renzi told the president "it's not possible to continue in his post" as premier following the resounding defeat yesterday of a referendum on constitutional reforms that Mr Renzi promoted.
Mr Mattarella, considering how parliament needs to complete its approval of the budget law, "asked the premier to delay his resignation until that task is accomplished".
