Giuseppe Tango Elected President of Italy's National Association of Magistrates

Giuseppe Tango, a 43-year-old labor judge from Palermo, was elected president of the National Association of Magistrates (ANM) on March 28, 2026, succeeding Cesare Parodi, who resigned on March 23 citing personal and family reasons. The election took place by acclamation during the first meeting of the Central Executive Committee following the referendum on judicial reform, with 31 votes in favor and one abstention. Tango, a member of the Magistratura Indipendente faction, had been the most voted magistrate in the January 2025 elections for the ANM executive committee. His election was supported not only by his own faction but also by progressive groupings including Area and Md, as well as Unicost, making his rise an unexpected point of convergence across internal currents. In his first remarks after the vote, Tango thanked Parodi for leading the association "in a phase of very stormy waters" and pledged to commit himself fully to the role.

31 (votes) — Tango elected by near-unanimous acclamation

The ANM referendum campaign centered on opposition to a judicial reform package put forward by the government of Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. The association had spent months mobilizing against the reform, which it argued would have concentrated excessive power in the hands of political actors and undermined the independence of the judiciary. The No side, backed by the ANM, prevailed at the polls. The ANM has historically operated as the representative body of Italian magistrates, grouping them into competing internal factions or "currents" that influence appointments to the CSM, the judiciary's self-governing body.

Outgoing Parodi warns victory is no blank check Parodi, who received a standing ovation before departing, struck a cautious tone in his farewell address, warning that the referendum result carried responsibility as much as vindication. „The victory in the referendum, coming from the citizens, is a strong delegation but not an open-ended one.” — Cesare Parodi via Adnkronos He stressed that the result was not a certificate that everything in the judiciary functioned well, and that credibility would depend on concrete behavior, transparency, and distance from opacity. Parodi had confirmed his resignation that morning, describing it as "a forced step" and saying he felt the need to return to his family, adding that "Anm needs a full-time president." Secretary general Rocco Maruotti echoed the call for internal renewal, urging the association to overcome "identitarianism and sectarianism" and to let pluralism replace individual protagonism. The outgoing president also pushed back against fears expressed by government undersecretary Giovanbattista Fazzolari, who had warned of a risk of "even more invasive action" by judges on immigration policy. „It is an unjustified fear. I believe that instead judges will simply continue to apply the law.” — Cesare Parodi via il Giornale.it

New president calls for dialogue, not confrontation with government Tango opened his presidency with a call for a new season of dialogue between the judiciary and political institutions, while drawing a firm line between the ANM and partisan politics. Speaking to reporters after his election, he framed the referendum outcome as a mandate that must be earned rather than exploited. „From tomorrow we will all get to work together with the other actors of the jurisdiction to propose solutions that can truly improve justice, we experience them on a daily basis, and by retying, if possible, the knots of an authentic dialogue with the political interlocutor.” — Giuseppe Tango via Open He also acknowledged that the judiciary had not always gotten things right. „It is a renewal and I do not mean only generational; truly, now more than ever, there is a need to bring the judiciary to look within itself and to understand everything that in recent years has not gone the right way.” — Giuseppe Tango via Adnkronos Tango said his strategy would include returning to the eight points the ANM had presented to the government at Palazzo Chigi a year earlier, and announced plans for a general assembly to discuss the path forward. He also noted that he may be the first ANM president to come from Palermo, offering "an affectionate thought" to those who had supported him there.

Justice minister Nordio extends hand across the aisle Carlo Nordio, Italy's Minister of Justice, responded swiftly to Tango's election with a conciliatory message, signaling openness to cooperation on justice reform. „Good luck and a fruitful relationship with us. I am certain that, after this moment of confrontation, we will be able to find the elements of concord for a more efficient and more modern justice system.” — Carlo Nordio via Adnkronos The exchange marked a notable shift in tone from months of sharp conflict between the government and the ANM over the now-defeated reform package. Tango, speaking on Rai's Tg1, underlined that many citizens — particularly young people — had felt compelled to defend the Constitution at the ballot box, and that protecting judicial independence from political interference remained the central challenge ahead. He announced an immediate commitment, starting the following day, to a path of renewal, transparency, and efficiency. The new president also addressed the credibility deficit within the judiciary directly, admitting that "something did not go the right way" in recent years and pledging that the association would work to reverse course. A faction of 21 magistrates associated with the more activist wing of the ANM separately called for an extraordinary general assembly to discuss programmatic priorities, including the establishment of permanent observatories on CSM activity.