Meloni Accuses Opposition of Using Courts as Political Weapon

Rome: Premier Giorgia Meloni accused part of the opposition of attempting to use judicial measures to challenge her government after the Green-Left Alliance (AVS) announced plans to report the executive to the International Criminal Court (ICC) for alleged complicity in crimes occurring in Gaza. “I read that some leftists… would like to report the Italian government to the International Criminal Court,” Meloni stated on Facebook.

According to Ansa News Agency, Meloni criticized the opposition for previously urging Brussels to initiate infringement procedures against Italy and now pursuing international trials by citing the humanitarian crisis in Gaza in what she described as a “completely instrumental way”. She argued that this demonstrated the opposition’s inability to defeat her government through domestic means, disregard for Italy’s international reputation, and reliance on judicial strategies to remove political opponents. Meloni insisted that such efforts would not succeed.

Meloni’s comments follow
ed her remarks on Wednesday, where she suggested a “design” behind recent Italian court rulings related to migrants, which she linked to her government’s contentious judicial reforms aimed at separating the career paths of judges and prosecutors. The government’s initiative to establish migrant centers in Albania, under an agreement with Tirana, has faced significant legal challenges. Additionally, the court of ministers recently requested that parliament prosecute Justice Minister Carlo Nordio, Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi, and Cabinet Secretary Alfredo Mantovano over Italy’s release of a Libyan general wanted by the ICC for war crimes earlier this year.

The likelihood of the case proceeding to trial is minimal, as the request requires approval from parliament, where Meloni’s ruling coalition holds a significant majority.