“We want to make us understand by the citizens and explain that this reform is not in their interest”. Cesare Parodi, president of the ANM is preparing to wear toga and coccarda tricolor to participate in the flashmob convened in Rome on the staircase of the Court of Cassationwhile in every part of Italy the magistrates abstain from work and find themselves in various public initiatives from the same tenor.
Are you not afraid that citizens can think that you want the institutional clash?
«There are certainly many people who favor this thought and foment the idea of clash, battle, contrast. But we are not magistrates. I know that this dialectic is part of the rules of the game and that there is an interest in presenting us different from what we are actually. However, we believe we act in defense of a collective interest. The same is probably thought on the other side and for this reason there is a need for a democratic comparison ».
You said that this reform does not actually affect the speed of the processes, and it does not mean is greater justice for citizens. Why?
“This said it in a very authoritative and clear way, among the former, Giulia Bongiorno, the lawyer, who is one of the most illustrious and authoritative exponents of the political majority. He said it in a video in which he explained that there is no possibility of expecting from this reform a faster and faster justice. I acknowledge that, on the reform, Bongiorno evidently also shares our thoughts. And therefore the intent of the reform is another ».
And that is the impact on ministries?
“Certain. The separation of careers carries out in itself the risk of the prosecutor’s subjugation to the executive. This is the main concern of the ANM and my personal. I believe that a prosecutor with a vision without prejudice to things is in everyone’s interest. While the lawyer defends his client, and must do it in the best way, the public prosecutor acts in the general interest, without prejudices, considering the whole picture. It has a function to protect citizens, not against them ».
Do you really think of making you understand by citizens on such a technical theme?
«I do not hide the enormous difficulties that there can be to make common citizens understand that things are actually not as they are skidding on social networks, on televisions, in many cases even in the newspapers. I don’t have the ambition to think that it is easy to overthrow a narrative picture that is very heavy, but we have to try. I think it is the only thing we can actually do. And then I apply a principle of my illustrious fellow citizen, Rita Levi Montalcini, who said: “Don’t fear the difficulties, it is from there that comes the best”. Here, I think it’s our case. We are in a difficult situation, but in this difficulty we must find the strength to make us understand, to make us listen and perhaps even to convince someone ».
He will meet Meloni next week. What do you hope it happens?
«I hope we can, as I imagine, serenely express what our position is and we will evaluate whether the government will consider, at that location, to communicate something to us or if it will be limited to listen. And then serenely, I repeat, with the junta, with the CDC, if in the case with the assembly of colleagues, we will see if there are some ways that can be traveled. What is certain is that we will talk and talk to the utmost respect and with maximum clarity. It’s the only thing I can tell you ».
What will you do after the strike?
“We are organizing a series of events, cultural encounters, presences on social media precisely to try to make it clear who we are and that this reform is not in the actual interest of citizens. Today we live in communication and we must communicate. In a very clear way, with understandable languages. If we are not clear we can also stop all our business immediately ».
Fear that if I will be the referendum on the reform it can be a referendum on the appreciation of the judiciary?
«We don’t fear it, we know that it will certainly be so. Everyone will present it in these terms, but we will not turn our heads on the other side. This is the reality of things, this is the constitutional system we know, we are part of this system, we accept the rules and play the game correctly with these rules and we will accept the results serenely. I don’t see what other attitude could be requested from the Italian judiciary ».
