Justice, Mattarella opposes Meloni's and the center-right's reform. The proof is there: Franceschini spoke for the Democratic Party in the Chamber.
Nothing happens by chance. Especially in politics, and especially when it comes to justice, considering that the head of the Judiciary—according to the Constitution—is Sergio Mattarella . Or, again, according to the Constitution, the President of the Republic. Yesterday, during the parliamentary debate in Palazzo Madama on the constitutional reform promoted by the center-right government, which includes, but is not limited to, the separation of careers, Dario Franceschini spoke on behalf of the Democratic Party in the Senate.
An event, a rare and unique opportunity for those familiar with the workings of politics and the halls of power. The former leader of the Margherita party and leader of the AreaDem faction almost never speaks in Parliament, perhaps two or three times at most in a single legislature. And the interpretation given by those who know what happens in Parliament intimately is that if Franceschini speaks for the main opposition party, it means the Quirinale is behind the scenes.
Moreover, Franceschini's words in the Senate were very institutional and Quirinale-esque , as Democratic sources explain. "You've thrown a boomerang. Since the beginning of the legislature, you've specialized in this technique: grand proclamations and opposite results. You could have taken the real path, which we don't share, which we oppose, but which in its brutality is not hypocritical: the one you have in mind as the second stage: the prosecutor under the control of political power, the overcoming of mandatory criminal prosecution, the assertion of the supremacy of political power over all other branches of the state ."
And Franceschini again at Palazzo Madama: "You have closed the doors to dialogue with everyone, with the interested parties and with the opposition. You are a numerically strong but politically weak majority . Minister Nordio did not consider participating during the vote on the amendments. As a former minister, I ask myself: what more important thing did the Minister of Justice have to do than be in the Chamber, in the seat of sovereignty, for one of the most important measures of his term?", he added.
Obviously not directly, not officially. It's about that unspoken, those refined political interpretations that only those who know the logic of Rome's political institutions inside out can interpret. But if Franceschini , a nearly always silent figure in the Democratic Party, decides to put his face on the line in voting statements on a (key) constitutional reform of the executive branch and the majority, it's no coincidence at all.
Words aside, the very fact that Franceschini spoke in the Chamber means, indirectly and politically, that the President, the Head of State , does not approve of this constitutional reform that separates the careers of public prosecutors and judges and establishes two CSMs. The final verdict will be made by the people, the citizens, in the confirmatory referendum to be held (without a quorum) in the spring of next year. But the Quirinale , Mattarella, has already expressed his opinion. And anyone who truly understands politics knows this perfectly well.
Before the Democratic Party was founded, which party did the President belong to? The Margherita party. The same party as former minister Franceschini . And the fact that it was "Dario" (as he is known at the Nazareno) who spoke in the Senate is no coincidence. Democratic Party secretary Elly Schlein left the floor open. Group leader Francesco Boccia was not allowed to speak, but Franceschini must (and did) speak.
A word to the wise: the Quirinale has already taken sides, indirectly and with all the necessary institutional precautions, in the referendum battle that will unfold in the spring of 2026. The signs are there. Clear. Clear. Unmistakable. You just have to know how to read them.
Affari Italiani
