Italian Tourism Minister Santanchè resigns after Meloni pressure

Italian Tourism Minister Daniela Santanchè has stepped down from her post, nearly a day after Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni publicly called for her resignation following a political setback tied to a recent referendum defeat.

Meloni took the unusual step on Tuesday night, March 24, of openly urging Santanchè to resign, as the minister faces an ongoing investigation over allegations of fraud, which she has consistently denied. The pressure came amid broader efforts by the government to restore credibility after losing a nationwide referendum on judiciary reform.

Earlier the same day, two officials from the justice ministry had also resigned, a move Meloni welcomed while calling on Santanchè to act “in the same spirit of institutional sensibility.” Despite the mounting pressure, Santanchè resisted stepping down for nearly 24 hours before ultimately complying.

In a statement, she rejected responsibility for the referendum outcome but agreed to follow the prime minister’s request. “I do not wish to be a scapegoat for a defeat that was certainly not caused by me,” she said. “That said, I have no difficulty in saying ‘I obey’ and in doing what you ask.”

The resignations come in the aftermath of Monday’s referendum, in which voters rejected the government-backed judicial reforms by a margin of seven points. Meloni’s administration had argued the changes were necessary to make the court system fairer, while opposition parties mobilized voters to reject the proposal.

The result has placed Meloni on the defensive, drawing comparisons to previous referendums in Italy that have had major political consequences. In 2016, for example, a failed referendum led then-Prime Minister Matteo Renzi to resign.

Despite the setback, Meloni has made clear she intends to remain in office until the next general election, scheduled for next year.

By Tamilla Hasanova