Italy: Heated Dispute Over Judiciary Reform and New Electoral Law

The pre-referendum campaign in Italy has turned into a brutal confrontation between the government of Giorgia Meloni and the opposition Five Star Movement. Giuseppe Conte, the opposition leader, accused the justice minister of seeking full political dominance over judges, calling it an attack on the Constitution. The central point of the reform is career separation, which the government says will ensure impartiality in proceedings, but critics argue will weaken prosecutorial independence. Minister Carlo Nordio announced that after winning the referendum, he would open a dialogue with the judiciary, though currently both sides remain on a collision course. Parallel to the dispute over the courts, the ruling majority has reached an agreement on a new electoral law, known as Stabilicum. The new law is to be based on a proportional system but with a significant seat bonus for the winning coalition, intended to ensure governance stability for Italy. The opposition, however, sees this as an attempt by the right to "cement" its power. Meanwhile, the Quirinal Palace, the seat of the president, welcomed signals of a toning down of rhetoric directly targeting judges, which Prime Minister Meloni personally appealed for during her last meeting with Minister Nordio. Since 1946, Italy has had nearly 70 governments, a result of unstable electoral laws and strong parliamentary fragmentation, constituting a persistent problem of the Italian political system.The polling situation ahead of the referendum remains unclear. Public opinion surveys indicate an almost perfect split in votes between supporters and opponents of the reform, making turnout a key factor for success. While politicians argue over major reforms, justice system practitioners, like prosecutor Pedio, are sounding the alarm about the dire state of logistics in the courts. The judge pointed to absurd situations where prosecutors are assigned drivers but have no official cars, starkly illustrating the gap between ideological disputes and the daily dysfunction of the system. „Quando avremo vinto il referendum apriremo un confronto con i magistrati.” (When we have won the referendum, we will open a dialogue with the magistrates.) — Carlo Nordio „State realizzando un disegno di politica criminale.” (You are implementing a plan of criminal policy.) — Giuseppe Conte