Italian Prime Minister Resigns Amid Party Revolt

A party revolt forced Italian Prime Minister Enrico Letta to announce his resignation yesterday, setting the stage for the ascent of the party’s new leader, Matteo Renzi.

Renzi, the mayor of Florence, had spoken repeatedly about the need for sweeping political and economic changes but until now, few analysts anticipated that he would lead a revolt against his own party’s sitting prime minister.

NPR's senior European correspondent, Sylvia Poggioli, discusses the insurrection and what it will mean for the future of both the Italian government and the Italian Democratic Party.