Italian Justice Minister Carlo Nordio staunchly defends the constitutional justice reform, which is set to be the subject of a referendum. Responding to President Sergio Mattarella's call to lower the tone of the debate, the minister criticized the opposition for lacking rational arguments, claiming they resort to offensive labels. Simultaneously, he reassured that he is not in conflict with prosecutor Nicola Gratteri, despite differences in style.

Response to the President's Appeal

Carlo Nordio responded positively to President Mattarella's appeal to lower the tone in the heated debate on justice reform.

Criticism of Opposition Methods

The minister accused opposition forces of lacking substantive arguments against the reform, claiming they resort to insults and comparisons to "P2 members."

Denial of Conflict with Gratteri

Nordio denied reports of a dispute with prosecutor general Nicola Gratteri from Catanzaro, describing him as a person with a "somewhat explosive" character.

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In Italian domestic politics, the heated debate around the planned constitutional justice reform continues to dominate. Justice Minister Carlo Nordio, speaking at the "Non c'è sicurezza senza giustizia" meeting in Bologna, responded to earlier remarks by the republic's president. President Sergio Mattarella appealed to all sides to lower the tense atmosphere in the discussion concerning the relationship between politics and the judiciary. Nordio called this appeal correct, stating: „Bene invito del presidente a non alzare i toni”. „Bene invito del presidente a non alzare i toni” (A good invitation from the president not to raise the tone) — Carlo Nordio At the same time, the minister attacked the opposition, accusing it of a complete lack of rational arguments against the proposed reform. In his opinion, the fact that critics resort to offensive comparisons – calling supporters of the reform "P2 members" or "friends of the Camorra" – proves they lack a substantive basis for opposition. „Le contumelie, persino quelle che ci dipingono come piduisti o amici dei camorristi dimostrano che sul referendum della giustizia l'opposizione non ha argomentazioni razionali da opporre” – said Nordio. The dispute over the reform of the Italian judiciary, concerning, among other things, the separation of judicial and prosecutorial careers and changes to the method of selecting members of the High Council of the Judiciary (CSM), has been ongoing for years. The Italian political scene is deeply divided on this issue, and tensions between politicians and judges have been a constant feature of public debate since the "Mani pulite" scandal in the 1990s. A separate thread concerns the minister's relationship with the prosecutor from Naples, Nicola Gratteri, with whom the media often reported tensions. Nordio firmly denied this, saying: „Io con Gratteri non sono mai stato in lite, anzi”. He described that every time they meet, they exchange a handshake, and sometimes even kisses and hugs. He admitted, however, that Gratteri's style is different from his own, calling the prosecutor's character "un po' fumino" (a bit explosive) and "pittoresco" (picturesque). In his opinion, when too many adjectives are used in a debate, one should do exactly as the president recommends – lower the tone. Meanwhile, further harsh words are coming from the opposition camp. Democratic Party Secretary, Elly Schlein, criticized Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and her party for "continuous attacks and slander of judges and their rulings" on social media. Schlein stated she was dealing with a "reversal of reality," as the prime minister, instead of taking responsibility for her words, accuses others of waging a "dirty fight."

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