(Bloomberg) -- Former Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi is leaving the Democratic Party to found his own movement but pledged continued support for Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte, according to reports from Italian media outlets.

Renzi, a former leader of the Democrats, is set to announce his move as early as Tuesday, according to the reports. In a telephone call to Conte on Monday evening, he assured the premier that his move won’t threaten the newly formed administration, news agency Ansa said.

The decision is likely to reignite tensions in Italy that have only just subsided since the failed bid by far-right leader Matteo Salvini to force early elections he would likely have won. Conte completed the line up of his administration Monday with the appointment of deputy and junior ministers.

A reformist prime minister between 2014 and 2016, Renzi resigned after Italians rejected his proposed overhaul of the country’s constitution in a referendum. He led the Democrats to their strongest electoral showing on record, winning 41% in the 2014 European elections, but had since been marginalized within his own party.

Reversing his long-held positions, Renzi last month became a strong supporter of the Democrats-Five Star alliance behind Conte’s government, saying the tie-up was needed to stave off a Salvini victory in a snap vote.

To contact the reporter on this story: Alessandro Speciale in Rome at aspeciale@bloomberg.net

To contact the editors responsible for this story: Chad Thomas at cthomas16@bloomberg.net, Robert Jameson

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