Italy's Former PM Renzi Resigns as Democratic Party's Leader

ROME (Sputnik) — Renzi is officially leaving as leader of the Democratic Party after the inner opposition threatened to split from the party because of disagreements over holding party assembly and the conduct of the snap elections before the term of the current Italian government expires.

"The word 'split' hurts me, but blackmail is even worse. It is unacceptable that the work of the party will stop, because of the minority dictatorship," Renzi said.

​According to the charter of the party, after a party secretary resigns, the assembly can choose a new leader already on Sunday or organize an extraordinary session of the assembly within four months.

"This is not last the last assembly in the history of the party, but the last for the current leadership," Renzi noted.

Earlier in the month, Renzi said that he might not run for the prime minister's post at the next parliamentary elections.

In December 2016, Renzi stepped down as prime minister after his constitutional reform proposals were rejected by Italians in a referendum, which was largely viewed as a vote on Renzi’s leadership.