Delmastro case: center-right explains no to chat acquisition, citing 'no shield'

The Italian Chamber of Deputies is currently engaged in a heated debate over prosecutors' request to access chat messages belonging to Undersecretary Andrea Delmastro. Pietro Pittalis, the rapporteur for the majority in the authorization committee, explained the reasons behind the committee's majority decision to deny the request. Pittalis argued that blocking access does not shield Delmastro but rather upholds Article 68 of the Constitution, which protects parliamentarians. He called the argument that denying access obstructs judicial work "inconsistent and dangerous." Pittalis also pointed to past cases, like the "Open" case and the "Scarpinato" situation, where he claimed the Five Star Movement supported the protection offered by Article 68.

Opposition parties, particularly the Five Star Movement (M5s), vehemently protested the decision. Senators and deputies from M5s staged a symbolic protest in both the Senate and Montecitorio chambers, raising their mobile phones to highlight their campaign #fuorilechat (out with the chats). Deputies from Alleanza Verdi Sinistra (Avs) also protested by blindfolding themselves in the chamber, with one deputy stating, "We cannot blindfold Italians." The Avs protest was eventually halted at the request of the presiding vice president.

Italia Viva's stance, as explained by deputy Mauro Del Barba, is guided by "constitutional legality and a correct balance between opinions." Del Barba announced his party's vote against the committee's report, noting that unlike past cases, the Rome prosecutor's office followed an "impeccable path" in this instance. However, he argued that denying authorization in the Delmastro case would transform Article 68 into a "personal privilege, creating an aura of opacity."

During the debate, M5s leader Giuseppe Conte engaged in a verbal exchange with Vice President of the Chamber Anna Ascani. Conte criticized the government's focus, stating, "The government does not shield the cost of living but its little friends." The Five Star Movement's protest underscores a broader political tension surrounding transparency and the application of parliamentary immunity in ongoing investigations.