Justice Minister Nordio and the relationship with Silvio Berlusconi

When Justice Minister Carlo Nordio presented his criminal justice reform, he told reporters that it was a tribute to Silvio Berlusconi, who died three days earlier and was a great friend of the Minister of Justice. “If on the one hand it is a tribute to his battle for a fairer justice, on the other there is the regret of preventing him from attending the first step towards a radical reform in the guaranteeist sense that he hoped for”, Nordio said on the day of the presentation of the reform. The reform of justice was one of the founding points of the political commitment of Silvio Berlusconi and Forza Italia and for Nordio it was therefore a must to dedicate it to Berlusconi. But this is not the only evidence of a cordial relationship between the two: a few hours after his appointment, Nordio went to Villa Grande to meet the Knight. A meeting that Carlo Nordio described as cordial, but which caused much discussion both among political analysts and the center-right neo-parliamentarians themselves. The focus of this meeting was on the decision on the next Minister of Justice, a role that went precisely to Nordio. Berlusconi’s support for justice reform Silvio Berlusconi is no stranger to the approach of Justice Minister Carlo Nordio, and it is clear that he supports it with great conviction, defending it from accusations, openly criticizing the “partisanship, falsehood and legal ignorance” of some sectors. In an interview with Corriere di Oggi, Berlusconi initially rejected an interpretation that he considers unfounded: “The idea that being a guarantor means being less determined in the fight against the mafia is simply absurd.” In this way, he vindicated his past actions, including the numerous arrests of members of the mafia, including many dangerous fugitives. These are the reasons that prompt him to reaffirm his support for the Minister of Justice and to defend him from recent criticism. He clarified that the reform is not directed against the judiciary but, on the contrary, is in favor of serious and correct magistrates, who represent the great majority. Regarding possible disagreements within the majority, Berlusconi stated that there is no political issue and that the centre-right is united, as demonstrated recently in Parliament, above all on these issues. Nordio: “Berlusconi persecuted? Mistakes on both sides” Another moment in which Nordio expressed positive words for Berlusconi was a few days after the death of the leader of Forza Italia. Minister Carlo Nordio believes that the conflict between the former founder and leader of Forza Italia and the judiciary began, mainly due to this situation, which had significant political repercussions, leading to Umberto Bossi’s removal from government and the fall of the government itself: “Silvio Berlusconi persecuted by the judges? I limit myself to mentioning an event which, in my opinion, was particularly serious and which marked the beginning of the conflict between Berlusconi and the judiciary. This event took place in 1994, when Berlusconi presided over the G8 and he was served an invitation to appear by the Public Prosecutor of Milan through an article in the Corriere della Sera, violating, in my opinion, all ethical and legal norms.” However, when asked by a reporter whether Berlusconi was indeed a victim of the judges, Nordio stated that “there have been mistakes on both sides, both by the judiciary and by Berlusconi. We also criticized Berlusconi’s legislative choices which delayed the real liberal reforms he had in mind.”