Italy went to the polls on Sunday in a referendum on offshore oil and gas drilling rights, a vote which Prime Minister Matteo Renzi has said he hopes people will not take part in, Reuters reported. For the ballot to be valid, more than 50 percent of the Italian electorate must vote but Renzi has urged people to stay away, saying that the referendum is unnecessary and might end up hurting the economy. Opinion polls have indicated that a quorum will not be reached. The referendum focuses on whether Italy should stop renewing offshore drilling licenses within 12 miles (20 km) of the coast. New drilling concessions are no longer being handed out, but the government says old agreements should be kept in play.
