Italy's beleaguered Tourism Minister Daniela Santanche resigned on Wednesday, belatedly obeying a call to go from Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni who is trying to reset her government after a bruising referendum defeat, APA reports citing Reuters.
Reeling from the rejection of her judicial reforms in the March 22-23 vote, Meloni on Tuesday secured the resignation of two scandal-hit officials and also asked Santanche, long accused of financial wrongdoing, to leave her tourism post.
"Dear Giorgia, As you have officially requested, I hereby tender my resignation," Santanche wrote in a statement, saying she was going "only in response to a request (from) the leader of my party".
While insisting that she should not be made a scapegoat for a referendum defeat "which was certainly not my fault," she said she had "no difficulty saying 'I obey' and doing what you ask of me."
Santanche -- a member of Meloni's right-wing Brothers of Italy party -- initially resisted the highly unusual public demand from the head of the government, who under Italy's post-war constitution cannot directly sack ministers.
