Justice Minister Carlo Nordio has sparked a constitutional skirmish after initiating a formal inquiry into a potential pardon for the jeweler Roggero, a move that prompted an immediate summons from President Sergio Mattarella. The friction centers on the Constitution of Italy, which reserves the power of grace—the presidential pardon—as the exclusive prerogative of the Head of State.
For the center-right government, the push for Roggero’s pardon is a signal.
Mattarella Reasserts the Presidential Prerogative
The atmosphere at the Quirinale Palace was reportedly frosty when President Sergio Mattarella received Minister Nordio. According to reporting from Corriere Roma, the President stated: «La grazia è facoltà esclusiva del capo dello Stato, lo dice la Costituzione».
The tension stems from Nordio’s announcement that he had begun an “istruttoria”—a preliminary administrative inquiry—to evaluate the merits of granting Roggero a pardon.
Il Manifesto described the encounter as a “strigliata”, suggesting that Mattarella viewed the Minister’s move as an overreach of authority.
The Political Gambit Behind the Roggero Case
As Il Fatto Quotidiano points out, Roggero has not yet constituted himself.
The Constitutional Friction Point
Nordio flipped this script by initiating the inquiry himself.
What This Means for the Italian Executive
For now, the President has spoken, and the law remains clear: the pen that signs a pardon belongs to the Head of State alone.
