Lorenzo Fioramonti should step down as lawmaker after resigning as education minister and quitting his party, leading members of the party, the 5-Star Movement (M5S), said in a statement on Tuesday.
The Lower House whip, vice president and treasurer of the M5S, respectively Davide Crippa, Riccardo Ricciardi and Francesco Silvestri, signed the statement together with House M5S delegates Soave Alemanno, Nicola Provenza and Antonio Federico.
Fioramonti, who has joined the mixed caucus in the House, said he was quitting over alleged under-funding of the education sector in the 2020 budget.
He said he had asked for three billion euros to be earmarked, but only two had been set aside.
The M5S has recently been hit by a rash of defections.
"Nobody gets offended if, for more or less legitimate reasons, someone doesn't find himself anymore in the Movement's action", the statement said.
"Nevertheless, they should resign as lawmakers, in the respect of citizens who voted for us".
The statement went on to say that M5S lawmakers "are more determined than before to work with force, sacrifice and patience for the common good, not for themselves".
Fioramonti quit in a Christmas letter to Premier Giuseppe Conte, throwing the ruling anti-establishment M5S into fresh chaos.
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