epa05660262 (FILE) A file picture dated 24 June 2016 shows Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi reacts during a news conference at Chigi Palace in Rome, Italy. First exit polls on 04 December 2016 suggest a ‘No’ vote victory in a crucial referendum to which Renzi had tied his political future. The referendum is considered by the government to end gridlock and make passing legislation cheaper by, among other things, turning the Senate into a leaner body made up of regional representatives with fewer lawmaking powers. It would also do away with the equal powers between the Upper and Lower Houses of parliament – an unusual system that has been blamed for decades of political gridlock. EPA/ANGELO CARCONI