Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte resigns as economy stalls during COVID-19 pandemic

Embattled Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte has resigned in a move seen as a gamble to forge a more viable coalition Government.

Mr Conte submitted his resignation to President Sergio Mattarella.

Mr Mattarella accepted the resignation and said he “reserves the right to decide [what to do next] and invited the Government to stay in office in a caretaker capacity”, an Italian presidency statement said.

Mr Conte survived two confidence votes in Parliament last week but crucially lost his absolute majority in the Senate with the defection of a…