Italy's administration accused of weakening legal authority through these three methods:

🇮🇹 Italy's Democratic Erosion: A Closer Look 🇮🇹

By Elaine Allaby

Italy is one of the five European Union (EU) member states that are actively dismantling democratic principles and deepening Europe's "democratic recession," according to a recent report on human rights and civil liberties.

The Dismantlers of Democracy Report 📜

The Civil Liberties Union for Europe (Liberties), an international coalition of civil rights organizations, highlighted Italy as a "dismantler" of democracy in a report published this year. The other EU countries named in the report were Bulgaria, Croatia, Romania, and Slovakia, which were accused of intentionally undermining the rule of law in nearly all aspects.

Here are three ways in which the coalition argues that the government of Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni is weakening the rule of law in Italy.

Infringing on Civil Liberties 🔒

Freedom of peaceful assembly, a constitutional right in Italy, has been "dangerously compromised" by the Meloni government, according to the report. The Italian parliament is reviewing a security bill that proposes years-long prison sentences for activists who block traffic and criminalizes passive resistance in prisons and detention centers. Manjit Singh, the chairman of Human Rights Watch, warned that if passed, the bill could have a "devastating impact on fundamental rights, including the rights to peaceful protest."

Stifling Press Freedom 🗣️

Italy's state broadcaster RAI has experienced "unprecedented levels of political interference" in the past couple of years, putting "unprecedented pressure" on its journalists, the Liberties report noted. The decision by RAI management last May to abruptly pull an anti-fascist monologue by novelist Antonio Scurati, accusing Meloni's party of rewriting history, sparked widespread outrage and allegations of government censorship.

Exerting Political Control Over the Judiciary 👮‍♀️

The Meloni administration revealed last month that it is pushing ahead with a sweeping reform that, if passed, would grant the justice ministry broad powers over prosecutors, potentially increasing government control over the judiciary. In Italy, judges and prosecutors share a career track and an independent governing body resistant to political interference. Critics argue that this proposed reform would cut the ties between the two professions, turning prosecutors into "super-police officers," as Naples' chief prosecutor Nicola Gratteri told Reuters.

Context

The Italian government under Meloni is widely perceived as undermining democratic principles, particularly regarding civil liberties, press freedom, and judicial independence. The administration's approach to free speech can be confusing as it promotes the rights of far-right populists to express their political views while silencing controversial opinions that may not align with the government's views or policies. This silencing can lead to polarization and disenfranchisement, undermining healthy democratic discourse[5].

Freedom of expression and journalistic dissent in Italy under Meloni's leadership have been described as severely problematic. The government appears to foster a hostile environment for critical journalism and dissenting voices, thus undermining a key pillar of democratic accountability and transparency[3].

Judicial independence is under pressure as well. The government has pursued constitutional reforms that aim to strengthen the powers of the Prime Minister, including the "premierato," the direct election of the Prime Minister by the public, and a new electoral law awarding 55% of parliamentary seats to the winning coalition, potentially reducing political competition and checks on executive power[3][4]. Critics argue these changes risk weakening the checks and balances, concentrating power in the executive, and compromising the judiciary's ability to operate independently and hold the government accountable[3][4].

The overall trend under Giorgia Meloni's government points to a weakening of democratic norms through the centralization of political power, constraints on free press and dissent, and erosion of judicial independence. These developments have triggered criticism domestically and from European bodies, warning that Italy's democracy faces significant challenges in maintaining its core liberal democratic principles[1][3][4][5].

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The report by Liberties, a coalition of civil rights organizations, classifies Italy as a dismantler of democracy, alongside Bulgaria, Croatia, Romania, and Slovakia.
The Italian government, led by Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, is accused of infringing on civil liberties, particularly freedom of peaceful assembly, as described in the Liberties report.
The Italian parliament is reviewing a security bill that would impose years-long prison sentences for activists who block traffic and criminalize passive resistance.
Italy's state broadcaster RAI has experienced political interference, putting pressure on its journalists and sparking allegations of government censorship.
The Meloni administration is pushing ahead with a reform that would grant the justice ministry broad powers over prosecutors, potentially increasing government control over the judiciary.
Critics argue that this proposed reform would cut the ties between judges and prosecutors, turning prosecutors into "super-police officers."
The overall trend under Meloni's government shows a weakening of democratic norms through the centralization of political power, constraints on free press and dissent, and erosion of judicial independence.
These developments have triggered criticism domestically and from European bodies, warning that Italy's democracy faces significant challenges in maintaining its core liberal democratic principles.