On 7 December 2016, Prime Minister Matteo Renzi announced his resignation, following the rejection of his proposals to overhaul the Senate in the 2016 constitutional referendum. A few days later, on 11 December 2016, President Sergio Mattarella asked Paolo Gentiloni, then Minister of Foreign Affairs, to form a new government.[3] On the following day Gentiloni was officially sworn in as the new head of the government.[4]
Gentiloni formed a coalition government supported by his own Democratic Party, the New Centre-Right and the Centrists for Italy. This was the same majority which supported Renzi's government for almost three years.[5] The centrist Liberal Popular Alliance, led by Denis Verdini, did not support the new government, because no party member was appointed minister.[6] Deputy ministers of the Italian Socialist Party and Solidary Democracy were also appointed. After the split of the Democratic and Progressive Movement from the Democratic Party, that party was presented by one deputy minister in the government until 3 October 2017.
Investiture votes
13–14 December 2016 Investiture votes for the Gentiloni government
^Absent (44): ALA (17), Lega (9), M5S (4), GAL–UDC (4), FI (3), AP–CpE–NCD (1), CR (1), Others (5) On institutional leave (7): Lega (3), Aut (2), FI (1), PD (1) President (1)
^Absent (142): M5S (86), Lega (17), NcI–SC–MAIE (13), FI (6), CeI (4), PD (3), FdI (2), SI–SEL–P (2), AP–CpE–NCD (1), DemoS–CD (1), Others (7) On institutional leave (14): M5S (5), NcI–SC–MAIE (3), Lega (2), PD (2), FI(1), Others (1)
^Costa resigned due to contrasts with the Prime Minister. He often criticized Gentiloni's views and ideas, especially regarding immigration and birthright citizenship.