Conte's hearing before the Covid commission begins

Former Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte appeared before the parliamentary commission investigating the management of the COVID-19 emergency at Palazzo San Macuto. The session, initially scheduled for 11 a.m., was delayed by about four hours due to ongoing debates in the Chamber of Deputies. The former premier's statement is expected to last until 6 p.m., followed by a question-and-answer session.

The hearing focuses on the handling of the pandemic, Prime Ministerial Decrees (DPCM), the procurement of masks, and the vaccination campaign. Opening his testimony, Conte declared, "With these statements, I take full legal responsibility for what I will say." He added, "I have no difficulty swearing an oath that allows me to say that I expose myself to all consequences - pleno jure, as jurists would say - regarding the elements within my knowledge. I come here aware that I must report, to the best of my science and conscience, all the facts known to me. I will assume, and have always assumed, political responsibility for my conduct and my actions."

Conte continued, "I swear to tell the truth on my honor. Honor, for me, comes first. It means respect for myself and for the people who lost their lives during the pandemic, for their families, and for healthcare workers." He then sharply criticized some members of the commission, stating, "I swear on my honor, the honor that some here have already lost during the pandemic, when instead of being on the front lines fighting with us in the trenches, they took refuge in sterile polemics and the most futile instrumentalizations. The honor that someone here has not regained, on the occasion of this commission, conceived as a firing squad against me and, at the same time, as a protective cage for the local administrators of their own parties."

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Giuro di dire la verità sul mio onore. L'onore per me viene prima di tutto, significa rispetto verso me stesso e verso le persone che hanno perso la vita durante la pandemia, verso i loro familiari e verso gli operatori sanitari