Rome – Two top justice ministry officials resigned Tuesday, intensifying turmoil for Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s government just a day after voters overwhelmingly rejected her flagship judiciary reform in a crushing referendum defeat.
Undersecretary Andrea Delmastro, from Meloni’s Brothers of Italy party, quit following revelations of his stake in a Rome restaurant tied to the daughter of Camorra mafia convict Andrea Caroccia. A 2023 photo showed them together, and Delmastro had failed to declare the investment to parliament as required. He sold his share upon learning of Caroccia’s criminal ties but admitted in his statement: “Although I did nothing wrong, I made an error of judgment, which I corrected as soon as I became aware of it. I take responsibility for that.”
Chief of staff Giusi Bartolozzi also stepped down, unlinked to the scandal but criticized for campaign remarks branding the judiciary a “firing squad” that Italy needed to “get rid of.” A source confirmed her exit added to the ministry’s post-referendum disarray.
Meloni and Justice Minister Carlo Nordio have rebuffed resignation demands, defending their push to overhaul Italy’s independent judiciary. The resignations handed opposition forces ammunition during the campaign’s final stretch, spotlighting governance lapses at a vulnerable moment for the right-wing coalition.