Italians are voting on Sunday on a crucial referendum, which also holds Prime Minister Matteo Renzi's political future in the balance.
They are voting on whether there should be constitutional reforms that would centre more power to the federal government and the ruling party in the country. It would reduce the role of the parliament and also take power away from the regional government and their autonomy.
According to DiEM25, a group of pan-European pro-democracy intellectual elites and others, 84.54 percent of DiEM25 members recommended a 'No' vote. The group includes Julian Assange, Yanis Varoufakis, Slavoj Žižek.
Renzi has promised to resign, despite opposition from political leaders, if Italy votes "No" on Sunday. Sources close to him have said that the 41-year-old might quit politics completely if he loses.
He assumed office in February 2014 as a reformer, who would be anti-establishment. Now, he faces more opposition from the Five Star Movement, an anti-establishment and the most popular party in Italy currently.
"We have 48 decisive hours in which we can change the future of our children," Renzi told crowds in his hometown of Florence, of which he was mayor. "If we want to shake things up in this country, it is now or never," he added.
The country is reeling under an economic crisis with 36 percent youth unemployed, debt and stagnant middle-class.
Renzi's exit could create chaos in Europe after Brexit and could lead further towards a disintegration of the European Union. It could lead to another banking crisis in the continent. An earlier referendum by Greece on austerity measures to be levied on the country had seen the exit of Varoufakis.
A low turnout for the vote could be in Renzi's favour, but the vote being on Sunday can lead to greater participation, which can spell doom for the country's youngest prime minister.
"Today we have to have a huge ambition, which is to think that Italy cannot exist for the coming months and coming years in a situation of uncertainty, instability, quagmire, hesitation," Renzi had said when he took office.
