Italy's Tourism Minister Daniela Santanchè has resigned after Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni pushed for her departure following a referendum defeat.
Santanchè initially resisted but stepped down after Meloni's public request. "I hereby tender my resignation," she said, stressing she acted out of loyalty.
This comes after voters rejected Meloni's judicial reforms, triggering a broader government reset. Santanchè is the third official to leave in recent days.
She faces trial over false accounting linked to the Visibilia group and is also under investigation for alleged benefit fraud during the pandemic. She maintains her record is clean, with no convictions.
Her resignation also avoids a no-confidence vote that could have further embarrassed the government. Now, Meloni is trying to regain control after a bruising political setback.