Italian Prime Minister Paolo Gentiloni attends the annual end-of-year news conference at Montecitorio government palace in Rome, Italy December 28, 2017. REUTERS/Max Rossi
December 28, 2017
ROME (Reuters) – Italian President Sergio Mattarella on Thursday signed a decree to dissolve parliament, Mattarella’s office said in a statement, in the last step necessary before the government can set the date of new elections.
Prime Minister Paolo Gentiloni’s cabinet is due to meet at 18:30 (17:30 GMT) to fix the date of the vote, which is widely expected to be March 4.
(Reporting By Gavin Jones, Editing by Isla Binnie)
