The row between Forza Italia and Carlo Nordio flares up again

Rome. The first warning came two months ago: a letter signed by group leaders Stefania Craxi and Enrico Costa and sent to the Minister for Justice, Carlo Nordio, urging him to protect the very high percentage of voters who, in the referendum on judicial reform, had called for change. However, the minister at Via Arenula, having cancelled an ad hoc meeting, never addressed the issues raised by Forza Italia. Reform of the statute of limitations, the Zanettin bill obliging the public prosecutor to seek the investigating judge’s approval for the seizure and use of data contained in mobile phones, compensation for victims of miscarriages of justice, the accountability of magistrates, and various proposals on the reform of civil proceedings: the list of grievances from the party led by Antonio Tajani is a long one. He has decided to send the Minister of Justice another ‘message’: from today onwards, given the breakdown in coordination between the government and the parties on this matter, the party will act independently. It will do so through parliamentary channels, namely draft legislation and agenda items.

Meanwhile, the fact-finding inquiry into prisons requested by Forza Italia began yesterday. This was accompanied by a heated exchange between Forza Italia’s Tommaso Calderone and Giusi Bartolozzi, former chief of staff to Nordio and now a member of Minister Foti’s staff. The former emphasised on social media the need to take action “with a prompt inquiry that was unanimously approved” by the Commission’s Bureau. The latter responded bluntly: “Perhaps the honourable Member has joined the opposition and I haven’t realised it…”, she wrote on Facebook, referring to the strategic plan currently being implemented by the Ministry of Justice.