Meloni: Baseless Accusations. Silence from Schlein and Conte

The charges have collapsed before trial, according to Il Giornale, effectively dismantling what the outlet describes as the final prosecutorial theory linking Berlusconi to organized crime. For 30 years, these allegations formed a cornerstone of left-wing attacks against the media tycoon turned politician, heavily promoted by progressive newspapers including Il Fatto Quotidiano and Repubblica.

The response from Italy’s left-wing opposition has been silence. Leaders of the broad left coalition including Elly Schlein, Giuseppe Conte, Nicola Fratoianni, and Angelo Bonelli have issued no statements, offered no self-criticism, and tendered no apologies for years of amplifying what has now been revealed as baseless accusations.

Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni seized on the archival decision, stating that judicial rulings have definitively swept away every shadow of doubt. She noted that for three decades, not only Berlusconi but an entire political community representing millions of Italian voters was unjustly placed under the infamous suspicion that their electoral support rested on mafia financing or illegal dynamics.

Coalition Leaders Celebrate Vindication

Deputy Prime Minister and Forza Italia leader Antonio Tajani delivered a scathing assessment of the prosecutorial conduct. He declared that the only thing truly sinister and hidden was the action of that segment of the judiciary which used false accusations as a political bludgeon, attempting to rewrite the history of Italian democracy. Tajani condemned the shameful slowness in reaching this conclusion and the disgusting determination with which prosecutors sought to politically neutralize the Forza Italia founder and his party.

The Forza Italia leader also questioned why a decision made on January 15 only became public now, suggesting deliberate delay in releasing information favorable to the center-right.

League leader and Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini went further, charging that certain prosecutors and newsrooms built entire careers on mud-slinging systematically directed at the center-right. The archival of Berlusconi regarding the 1993 bombings confirms once again, Salvini stated, that a certain left has fed on hatred, lies, and delusions.

Push for Judicial Accountability Gains Momentum

Salvini announced that the League is determined to approve legislation on civil liability for magistrates before the end of the current legislative term. The judicial exoneration has energized calls for judicial reform, particularly regarding magistrate accountability for unfounded prosecutions.

Maurizio Lupi of Noi Moderati declared that many people should be ashamed and should apologize for their role in perpetuating the allegations.

Marta Fascina, Berlusconi’s companion, wrote on Instagram that envy and hatred have been defeated, declaring that justice has been served.

Forza Italia’s newly appointed group leader Enrico Costa characterized the affair as having imposed enormous costs on those involved, both personally and in terms of political and reputational damage. He announced the party will demand transparency regarding the substantial state funds expended on investigations that were groundless from the beginning.

Reform Agenda Takes Center Stage

The collapse of this long-running judicial assault may accelerate debate on expanding judicial reform beyond career separation to include civil liability for magistrates. Both Salvini and Marina Berlusconi support such measures, though Prime Minister Meloni’s party appears more cautious following the referendum on career separation.

The issue is expected to remain a priority item for the governing coalition through the final phase of the current legislative term, as the center-right seeks structural changes to prevent future politically motivated prosecutions.

With information from Il Giornale