The cabinet gave its green light
to a controversial reform of Italy's criminal trial legislation
but tensions between Premier Giuseppe Conte and Matteo Renzi's
Italia Viva (IV) party over changes to the statute of
limitations remained high and an IV threat to eventually table a
no confidence motion in Justice Minister Alfonso Bonafede has
not been taken off the table.
The proposed measure OK's by cabinet includes the so-called
"lodo Conte bis", a compromise solution to the wrangle about the
statute of limitations reform.
"When you work with reliability, responsibility and
commitment, the results, though hard, arrive", Prime Minister
Giuseppe Conte told a press conference after the meeting.
The premier called a "defeat" the absence of IV's two female
ministers Teresa Bellanova and Elena Bonetti at the cabinet
meeting in a sign of Renzi's party's continued opposition to the
"lodo Conte bis".
Renzi on Friday reiterated that the lodo Conte was
unconstitutional and said "we won't give up trying to change"
Bonafede's reform.
"If Conte wants to he can banish us, we're alies and not
subjects".
Renzi on Thursday issued his latest ultimatum to Justice
Minister Bonafede, prompting a sharp response from Premier
Giuseppe Conte.
"Italia Viva needs to tell us what it wants to do, it needs
to clarify not just to me but to the country", the prime
minister told the press conference.
Bonafede, the architect of the reform, has said the measure
will cut down the length of Italy's snail-paced criminal trials
to a maximum of four years, including trials of first instance
and appeals.
Earlier this week Renzi, an ex-premier and former center-left
Democratic Party (PD) leader, threatened to up the stakes in a
row within the government about the reform of the statute of
limitations by presenting a motion of no confidence in Bonafede.
Unlike the other parties supporting the government, IV
opposed the "lodo Conte bis", a compromise on the issue proposed
Conte after it staunchly opposed Bonafede's reform that puts the
statute of limitations on ice after a first-instance court
ruling.
The aim is to stop offenders getting off thanks to their
lawyers' ability to draw out proceedings until the statute of
limitations kicks in.
Renzi argues there is a risk of people getting embroiled in
never-ending trials and the slow pace of Italy's justice system
getting worse.
The reform has also come under fire from judges and criminal
lawyers, as well as opposition parties.
Conte's compromise would see the statute of limitations put
on ice when a first-instance conviction is upheld at the
appeals level.
In Italy's three-tier justice system, convictions are not
considered definitive until the appeals process has been
exhausted.
There has been speculation the other parties could force
Renzi to put up or shut up by putting the Conte compromise to a
confidence vote.
But the sources said that if that happened, IV might respond
by tabling a no-confidence motion in Bonafede, a member of the
5-Star Movement (M5S).
"If a party is threatening to present a no-confidence motion
in a minister, it is threatening no-confidence in the whole
government," said Culture Minister Dario Franceschini, a bigwig
in the centre-left PD.
IV MP Lucia Annibali, an acid-attack survivor, on Wednesday
presented a motion to postpone the statute of limitations reform
by a year to stop the government brawling.
After she did so she was submerged by a wave of social media
hate including wishes that she should be disfigured again, and
posts praising her ex who threw the acid in her face.
"I will not be intimidated," she said.
On Friday Rome prosecutors opened a probe into the insults
against Annibali.
IV voted with the opposition on the motion, as it has done in
previous votes on the statute of limitations reform.
The motion was defeated.
The cabinet was also set to assess a thoroughgoing reform of
criminal justice in Italy at Thursday night's meeting.
Renzi on Thursday gave Bonafede two months to change tack or
face a possible Senate no confidence vote.
IV once more voted with the opposition for an amendment filed
by three-time ex-premier and media magnate Silvio Berlusconi's
centre-right Forza Italia (FI) party on the issue on Thursday.
Again, the amendment was defeated.
Premier Giuseppe Conte said Thursday that he would not take
it lightly if the members of government from the Italia Viva
(IV) party snubbed the next cabinet meeting in relation to a row
over changes to the statute of limitations.
"Not sitting at a table that you have an institutional role
at would not be something to overlook," Conte said.
"I would consider it unjustified".
Conte said he did not accept "blackmail" and warned the IV
that they should not continue to vote with the opposition.
"I listen to everyone, but a more constructive spirit is
needed," he said.
Conte called on IV to clarify its position amid the row with
other groups within the ruling coalition over changes to the
statute of limitations.
"I think IV should give clarification - not to me but to the
Italian people," Conte said, describing the party's attitude as
"surreal, paradoxical".
"You'd expect aggressive and somewhat rude opposition (like
this) from a party of the opposition".
That prompted Renzi to dare Conte to open a government crisis
by kicking his Italia Viva (IV) party out of the ruling
coalition.
"If Conte wants to open a crisis, he can," Renzi said.
"Mr premier, the ball is in your court. We haven't opened a
crisis.
"You can change the ruling majority, premier.
"You know how to do it because you've done it in the past.
"If we are in the opposition , you don't have a majority".
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED © Copyright ANSA