Italy’s compliance with democratic standards faced intense European scrutiny during a closed-door hearing on Wednesday, as EU officials previewed a damning 2025 rule of law report and condemned the absence of senior Italian ministers as a “political boycott.”
The session, led by the European Parliament’s Democracy, Rule of Law, and Fundamental Rights Monitoring Group, highlighted systemic flaws in Italy’s judiciary, anti-corruption framework, and governance under Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s government.
Julien Mousnier, head of the European Commission’s rule of law directorate, reportedly raised multiple red flags during the hearing. Chief among them were chronic inefficiencies within Italy’s judiciary, exacerbated by inadequate digital infrastructure and training for judges.
Conflicts of interest among public officials were also singled out, alongside the contentious 2024 abolition of the “abuse of office” crime, a move critics argue has weakened anti-corruption safeguards.
The Meloni administration’s reliance on emergency decrees drew sharp criticism, with data revealing 84 such measures enacted since October 2022, surpassing even pandemic-era governments. A proposed security bill, which could impose harsh penalties on peaceful protesters and detainees, was lambasted for risking the “criminalisation of dissent.”
The hearing, organised by the European Parliament’s civil liberties committee (LIBE), was notably snubbed by Italy’s Justice Minister Carlo Nordio and Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi, who sent junior officials in their stead. Belgian MEP Sophie Wilmès, chairing the session, labelled the absence a deliberate “boycott,” contrasting it with other EU states’ engagement.
Parallel tensions flared as Meloni’s Brothers of Italy party (ECR) accused LIBE of bias after its request to include journalist Tommaso Cerno as a speaker was rejected. Cerno, editor of Il Tempo, alleged “left-wing fascism” in the decision, a claim dismissed by Five Star Movement MEP Gaetano Pedullà who accused the ECR of deflecting from Italy’s rule of law deficiencies.
Former Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte uploaded part of his speech to parliament on X, which also underlines the growing criticism of Meloni.
Today in Parliament, something truly disgraceful happened.
As Meloni’s coalition faces mounting pressure, the hearing signals a pivotal moment in Italy’s fraught relationship with European democratic norms.
