More resignations after referendum: Gasparri quits, Craxi leads Forza Italia in Senate

Published on 26/03/2026 - 17:31 GMT+1

Fresh upheaval successful the ranks of the ruling majority. Less than 24 hours aft the resignation of Daniela Santanchè arsenic tourism minister, Maurizio Gasparri besides near his station connected Thursday, becoming the 4th to resign successful conscionable 3 days since the decision of the Yes campy successful the justness referendum.

Taking his spot arsenic Forza Italia (FI) radical person successful the Senate volition beryllium Stefania Craxi, presently seat of the Foreign Affairs and Defence Committee.

'To Stefania Craxi, the caller seat of the Forza Italia radical successful the Senate, I widen my champion wishes for her work,' wrote soon afterwards Forza Italia's nationalist caput and overseas minister, Antonio Tajani, thanking Gasparri for his work successful a station connected X.

'I person independently decided to measurement down arsenic Forza Italia's radical person successful the Senate. Those whose agelong governmental travel is based connected solidity and a consciousness of duty, and not lone connected the bureau they hold, cognize however to negociate timing and process successful analyzable moments. We determination guardant with consistency, looking to the future,' Gasparri said.

The announcement of the resignation of the erstwhile FI radical leader, who said helium had taken the determination independently, comes aft a letter signed by 14 of the party's 20 senators calling for his replacement.

According to FI parliamentary sources quoted by Ansa, Gasparri was fixed astir 48 hours to negociate his exit strategy. In particular, the determination is thought to person been influenced by the wishes of Marina Berlusconi, eldest girl of the party's founder, Silvio Berlusconi, who died successful 2023, from whom she has truthful acold inherited firm posts but not, officially, a governmental role.

Referendum decision for the bulk and a concatenation of resignations: absorption criticism

The decision of the Yes campy successful the justness referendum has triggered a concatenation absorption wrong the governing majority, which connected the 1 manus appears keen to amusement it has heeded the beardown awesome from the ballot box, and connected the different wants to debar astatine each costs a situation for the government.

In caller days, the undersecretary for justness (from Brothers of Italy) Andrea Delmastro Delle Vedove, whose concern dealings with a beforehand antheral for the Senese clan person sparked wide controversy, and the main of unit to the justness curate Carlo Nordio, Giusi Bartolozzi (FI), person besides near their posts.

Commenting connected Gasparri's resignation, Green and Left Alliance MP Angelo Bonelli spoke of a 'political situation successful the centre-right', arguing that the resignations 'of Bartolozzi, Delmastro, Santanchè and contiguous Gasparri – and time who knows who – necessitate an acceleration successful defining the centre-left's programme'.

'The close governing Italy has gone beyond the limits of hypocrisy**: if No had not won, from Santanchè to Delmastro they would each person stayed successful their posts,**' Bonelli said, adding that 'Italy risks slipping into economical recession, besides due to the fact that of the warfare and the brainsick vigor argumentation pursued by Giorgia Meloni', and that for these reasons 'it is indispensable to velocity up with determination the operation of a credible alternate susceptible of offering the state a antithetic perspective'.