Overview
- Giusi Bartolozzi, chief of staff at the Justice Ministry, urged a Yes vote on Telecolor and said voters would “get rid of the magistrature,” calling them “execution squads.”
- Nordio expressed dismay at the wording, said the reform does not attack judges, asked for an apology, and affirmed that Bartolozzi will remain in her post.
- The aide later said she was referring only to a small politicized minority and praised most magistrates, but, according to government sources, no public apology is planned for now.
- Opposition parties (PD, M5S, AVS, IV) demanded her removal and pressed for Nordio to give a formal explanation in Parliament, while Fratelli d’Italia argued the remarks were misrepresented and considers the matter closed.
- The controversy has overshadowed Giorgia Meloni’s pro‑Yes messaging, and Bartolozzi’s separate legal exposure persisted as Rome prosecutors rejected a bid to move the Almasri probe to Perugia.