Carlo Nordio, Italy's Minister of Justice, spoke to Sky Tg24 after the referendum and did not hide his role. He said the reform carries his name and that he accepts the political responsibility for it. He also warned that the outcome hands significant leverage to the association of magistrates.
What Nordio says about the magistrates' association
Nordio argued that the referendum result is a clear victory for the national magistrates' association (Anm). In his view, this will give the Anm more bargaining power and turn it into an unusual political actor that will oppose governments, now and in the future. He added that the left will have to deal with this too when it returns to government, and predicted internal fights within the governing coalition over who takes credit.
Quoted line
"This is a victory for the Anm. The Anm becomes an anomalous political subject that opposes governments."
He owns the reform
Nordio was explicit: the reform carries his name and he assumes political responsibility. He admitted there may have been mistakes in the way it was communicated or presented, and that some of those faults are his.
On the minister's chief of staff and internal debate
Asked whether Giusi Bartolozzi, the minister's chief of staff, was at risk because of the referendum result, Nordio replied with a clear negative. He framed the various remarks from members of his ministry and of the coalition as roughly balancing out, and said the heated polemics probably did not have a major effect.
No to judicial retaliation
As a former magistrate, Nordio strongly rejected the idea that judges would be used for revenge. He said it would be wrong and almost unthinkable to instrumentalize judicial power to punish those who supported the reform. He called such a scenario unrealistic.
The Delmastro episode
Regarding undersecretary Delmastro, Nordio said he expects the matter will be clarified. He defended the principle that social interactions do not require identity checks, and compared it to normal campaign contact. He denied knowledge of any criminal links, described Delmastro as someone who may have overstepped in communication but not as a person with mafia ties, and noted that the Anti-Mafia committee will look into it.
On polls, turnout and relations with the prime minister
Nordio admitted that the polls failed to predict what happened. Pollsters expected that higher turnout would help the 'yes' side, but actual turnout reduced the 'yes' share instead. He said part of their effort had been to motivate supporters to vote. He also clarified that he did not speak directly with Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni after the vote, but he did speak with party colleagues and aligns with the line the prime minister presented.
Communication mistakes and the contested phrase
Nordio acknowledged communication errors on his part. He insisted that a much-discussed phrase about a so-called mafia system was not his wording but a citation of a public prosecutor's statement. That citation was then attributed to him and sparked controversy that the denials could not fully contain. He said controversy is part of politics, and he was not surprised by the fallout.
"I admit I made various mistakes, probably also in communication. But the phrase most contested was a quotation from a public prosecutor and not something I said directly."
