Premier Giorgia Meloni said Wednesday
there is no conflict between politics and the judiciary, on the
day ANSA sources reported that tensions between the government
and magistrates over the case of an undersecretary had reached
the judiciary's self-governing body, the CSM.
"Let me take this opportunity to clarify," Meloni told reporters
in Vilnius, Lithuania.
"There has been a lot of controversy, I have read curious
things," she continued.
"From my point of view there is no conflict with the judiciary.
I think those who are counting on the return of conflict
between politics and the judiciary will be disappointed," she
said.
Last week the government criticised a judge's decision to
forcibly indict Justice Undersecretary Andrea Delmastro for
allegedly revealing classified information, suggesting that some
magistrates had joined the opposition.
The criticism prompted the Italian union of magistrates ANM to
accuse the government of delegitimising the judiciary, and on
Wednesday magistrates belonging to the 'AREA' group called on
the CSM to criticise its attack, calling it a "serious and
unjustified accusation" that "calls into question the
impartiality of the decisions and the independence of the
judiciary".
In recent weeks there have also been tense exchanges between
Justice Minister Carlo Nordio and magistrates over proposed
justice reforms.
"We have a clear agenda, a mandate that has been given to us by
citizens, and we will carry it out because we are people who
keep our promises," Meloni told reporters in the Lithuanian
capital in relation to the reforms.
"We agree that in Italy the justice system needs to be
corrected, it needs to be made faster, more efficient, it needs
to be and appear impartial," she said.
Meloni said she had been "surprised" by the statement from ANM
claiming the proposed separation of the career paths of
prosecutors and judges so they can no longer switch from one
side to the other is intended to punish magistrates for
decisions the government doesn't like.
"There is a risk of slipping into an debate that is not
helpful," said Meloni, adding that the government's "historical
goal" of career separation "and the choices that magistrates
make on specific cases should (not) be lumped together".
"They are two different issues, we need to make a distinction,"
she continued.
"There is no desire on the part of the government to open a
conflict" or to enact reform "against magistrates", insisted
Meloni.
"In fact, we hope to be able to do it with the contribution of
magistrates," she said.
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