Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte resigned on Tuesday amid criticism of his government’s management of the Covid-19 crisis. The former law professor will try and form a new government to avoid a snap election.

President Sergio Mattarella confirmed he had accepted Conte’s resignation. The prime minister held a Cabinet meeting earlier this morning to inform the government of his plans.

Conte, in power since 2018, quit after ex-PM Matteo Renzi pulled his Italia Viva party out of the governing coalition.

Renzi opposed Conte’s plans for spending more than €200 billion ($243 billion) of EU recovery fund cash.

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