Justice Minister Carlo Nordio and Five Star Movement leader Giuseppe Conte clashed in Palermo during a debate on the constitutional referendum. The main point of contention became the planned separation of careers for judges and prosecutors. Nordio argued for the necessity of democratizing the system through the random selection of members of disciplinary bodies, while Conte accused the government of implementing a "criminal political plan" aimed at subordinating the judiciary to the executive branch.

Nordio-Conte Clash in Palermo

The first direct debate between the minister and the opposition leader on the constitutional reform and career separation.

Accusations of a 'Criminal Plan'

Conte accused Giorgia Meloni's government of attempting to systematically limit the independence of prosecutors and judges.

Random Selection of Judges for CSM

The government proposes random selection of members of disciplinary bodies as a remedy for corruption and cliques within the judiciary.

Controversy Over the Minister's Past

A recording from years ago was released in which Nordio criticized judges becoming involved in politics.

The Italian political scene has been dominated by the escalating conflict surrounding the constitutional referendum on justice reform scheduled for March. The central point of the dispute is the proposal for career separation and changes to the functioning of the Supreme Council of the Judiciary (CSM). Minister Carlo Nordio argues that the changes are necessary to eliminate the harmful influence of particular factions within the magistracy, which were revealed during the Palamara scandal. The proposed random selection is meant to restore judicial autonomy and limit the "ethical modesty" of some judicial circles. A completely different perspective is presented by Giuseppe Conte, who accuses the ruling parties of attempting to intimidate judges and introduce the primacy of politics over law. The opposition leader points to numerous proceedings against politicians from the ruling camp, such as Andrea Delmastro or Daniela Santanchè, suggesting the reform is meant to protect them. Conte also sharply criticized the abolition of the crime of abuse of office, which has been negatively assessed by EU institutions. The government, however, counters these arguments, emphasizing that the law should serve citizens, not a judicial "caste". The Italian judicial system has been in a state of permanent tension between the legislative and judicial branches since the 1990s and the 'Clean Hands' operation. Italian prosecutors currently hold an exceptionally strong position, being part of the same corps as sitting judges.The situation is further complicated by the release of an 11-year-old recording in which Minister Nordio himself, then a prosecutor, categorically opposed judges moving into politics. This discovery has sparked a wave of commentary on social media, raising questions about the consistency of the minister's views. Meanwhile, Antonio Tajani of Forza Italia calls for substantive discussion instead of a "war with the robes", emphasizing that the reform aims to strengthen democracy, not weaken judicial independence. „State realizzando un disegno di politica criminale fin dall'inizio.” (You have been implementing a criminal political plan from the very beginning.) — Giuseppe Conte22-23 marca — the constitutional referendum will be held in Italy

Mentioned People

  • Carlo Nordio — Italian Minister of Justice, promoter of judicial reform.
  • Giuseppe Conte — Leader of the Five Star Movement (M5S), former Prime Minister of Italy.
  • Antonio Tajani — Leader of the Forza Italia party, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs.