Globalists lose another vote: Italian PM Matteo Renzi to resign in wake of referendum defeat, by Sky News.
Italian PM Matteo Renzi has said he will resign after losing a key referendum on constitutional reform.
Mr Renzi had staked his future on a “Yes” vote, vowing to quit if voters rejected his plans to reduce the role of the country’s Senate and take back powers from regional authorities. …
“The experience of my government ends here,” Mr Renzi said in a televised address to the nation after early results suggested he may have lost by as much as 20 points.
Mr Renzi, who came to power in 2014, said he took full responsibility for the “extraordinarily clear” defeat.
A projection by the Piepoli Institute/IPR for state broadcaster RAI estimated 57-61% will vote “No”, compared to 39-43% for “Yes”. …
Spearheaded by the populist Five Star Movement, the biggest rival to Mr Renzi’s Democratic party, the “No” campaign took advantage of the Mr Renzi’s declining popularity, a struggling economy and problems caused by tens of thousands of migrants arriving from Africa.
More by Angus MacKinnon:
The main opposition parties went into the vote insisting that there should be early elections if the proposals — curtailing the size and powers of Italy’s Senate and transferring powers from regions to the national government — were defeated. …
Opposition parties denounced the proposed amendments to the 68-year-old constitution as dangerous for democracy because they would have removed important checks and balances on executive power. ….
And during the day his hopes were raised as turnout in the prosperous north of the country far exceeded that in the south …
The No vote represents a major victory for Five Star leader Beppe Grillo, who had urged Italians to follow their gut instincts. …
After the Brexit vote and Donald Trump’s victory in the US presidential election, the No vote is likely to be interpreted as another victory for populist forces and a potential stepping stone to government for Grillo’s Five Star.
Beppe Grillo’s Five Star Movement spearheaded Renzi’s defeat.
The referendum was an elitist proposal to maintain slipping control. Its failure could mean the end for government support of Italian banks and another step toward the breakup of the European Union.
