«Nordio reform in the classroom»- Corriere.it

It all happens within a few hours: Sergio Mattarella gives the green light – after several days – to the draft law of the Minister of Justice Carlo Nordio which contains among other things the abolition of the abuse of office; the Keeper of the Seals assures during the question time that the government program does not include the modification of the discipline on external competition in the Chamber, stating that he has proved «outrage» when “someone called me a supporter of mafia crime”; and finally the centre-right bowls in the commission for EU policies directive of the European Parliament and Council on fight against corruptionthus opening another political case. In short, it is the umpteenth day in which the clash in the palace everything revolves around the node of justice.

The green light

In mid-afternoon the head of state places the sign the text of the law of the Keeper of the Seals and authorizes its presentation to the Chambers (it has already been sent to the Senate Justice Commission). In the same minutes, the Minister of Justice presents himself to Montecitorio for the question time and answers to Valentina D’Orso (Movimento 5 Stelle) who asks him «if he intends to intervene and how on the external competition in mafia association. The memory of Borsellino and all the servants of the State who are victims of the mafias is not honored with catwalks and sentences of circumstance but by carrying out concrete actions to contrast the mafias and all forms of complicity with them”. Nordio listens attentively, then stands up and replies harshly: «You will understand my bewilderment and my indignation when someone called me a supporter of mafia crime». Having made it clear that the modification of the crime of external complicity in a mafia association is not part of the government programme, he also guarantees: «There will be no weakening in the fight against the mafias». All this does not mean that there shouldn’t be a debate on the crime of external competition. «The Cassation itself – he observes – has, as I said, sometimes changed its address. The latest proof of what I am saying is very recent: the Court has redefined the concept of organized crime in a very restrictive sense, with the risk of compromising many ongoing trials for very serious crimes. And it is for this reason that in the last Council of Ministers, in agreement with the presidency, we announced a decree law precisely to define, with the dutiful criteria of obligatory and specific nature, the crimes of organized crime». Applause from the benches of the majority. Grillino’s rejoinder Federico DeRaho: «Publicly, on the occasion of an event, she spoke of elimination or abrogation of the external competitioncausing the controversy. There was a repentance on his part with respect to what was said, but we are still not convinced ». The leader of the M5S echoes him, Joseph Conte: «Nordio and Meloni they took it all back».

The no in the Commission

Be that as it may, the long day on the justice front doesn’t end there. Shortly thereafter, the centre-right majority said no in the commission for EU policies European anti-corruption directive, which reaffirms the need for abuse of office, because “it would be clearly in conflict with the principle of subsidiarity and with that of proportionality”. A tear that exacerbates the clash between the majority and the opposition, also because the Nordio reform starts from the abolition of the abuse of office. Deputy Prime Minister Antonio Tajani (FI) defends the choice of the centre-right: «At the European level, the question of abuse of office is a faculty of the individual nation-state. As far as I’m concerned, let’s go ahead with the abuse of office.” Francesco Boccia, group leader in the Senate of the Pd, is not there, targeting the executive: «Yesterday the fiscal peace and the amnesties, today the no to the European anti-corruption directive. Here is the Italian right”. He also protests from the M5S: «A sensational rejection not only because it goes against the recommendations of the President of the Republic Mattarella and the reassurances of Prime Minister Meloni herselfbut also because the majority opinion is motivated by the blatantly false argument that the European Union has no jurisdictionaccording to them, concerning the harmonization of national laws’.

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