Jitters over the political crisis in Italy has spread to Wall Street, with the S&P 500 and the Dow Jones suffering their biggest one day percentage drop in a month on Tuesday.
A failed attempt to form a new government has raised the prospect of new elections.
This could see eurosceptic parties strengthening their position and further raising concerns over the eurozone's stability.
The plunge on Wall Street came after Italy's FTSE MIB closed nearly three percent lower, with other main markets in Europe shedding well over one percent.