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Italy Referendum: PM Matteo Renzi Resigns after Clear Referendum DefeatItalian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi has resigned after suffering a heavy defeat in a referendum over his plan to reform the constitution.
In a late-night news conference, he said he took responsibility for the outcome. He said the No camp must now make clear proposals.
An exit poll for state broadcaster RAI suggests 42-46% voted to back reform, compared with 54-58% voting No.
The first projections based on the official count point to a wider defeat.
Early indications have the Yes vote at 39-43% and the No at 57-61%.
"Good luck to us all," Mr Renzi told reporters. He said he would tell a Cabinet meeting on Monday afternoon that he was resigning, and then tender his resignation to the Italian president after two-and-a-half years in office.
Mr Renzi said the reforms would have cut Italy's bureaucracy and made the country more competitive.
The vote asked about plans to streamline parliament but it was widely seen as a chance to register discontent with the prime minister.
Image copyright Reuters
Image caption Spontaneous celebrations in the streets of Rome, after the referendum defeat and resignation of PM Matteo Renzi
The No vote was supported by populist parties, and the referendum was regarded as a barometer of anti-establishment sentiment in Europe.
Opposition leader Matteo Salvini, of the anti-immigrant Northern League, said that if the exit polls were confirmed, the referendum will be a "victory of the people against the strong powers of three-quarters of the world".
