The office of Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte has announced that he will offer his resignation on Tuesday in hopes of securing a mandate for a new government.

Italy has been gripped by political turmoil in recent weeks, mainly over the government’s handling of the coronavirus pandemic - which has devastated the country. Conte’s government began to wobble out of control on January 14 when former Prime Minister Matteo Renzi withdrew the support of his Italia Viva party, robbing the government of its majority.

Despite winning confidence votes in the Senate (156–140) and the lower house (321–259) last week, Renzi’s departure left Conte without a clear mandate. Stepping down will now allow him to take a third run at governing the country.