ROME (Sputnik) — According to Zampetti, Gentiloni met president at his official residence, the Quirinale Palace, at 12:20 p.m. local time (11:20 GMT). During the meeting, which lasted for over 40 minutes, the president ordered Gentiloni to form the new Cabinet.
"Taking into account the importance to give Italy a full-fledged government, I will try to present [the list of ministers] to the president as soon as possible," Gentiloni said after the meeting.
Renzi announced on Monday his decision to step down after his constitutional reform proposals were rejected by Italians in a referendum. The formal resignation was postponed until the parliament passed the 2017 budget law, which it did on Wednesday.
The referendum was largely seen as an opportunity for the nation to express its dissatisfaction with the government. The "no" campaign was led by anti-establishment and Eurosceptic opposition parties.
