Overview
- Cesare Parodi stepped down as head of the National Association of Magistrates after the referendum count, saying he had decided weeks earlier for serious family reasons and due to his full-time post as Alessandria’s chief prosecutor.
- His resignation creates a vacancy at the top of the judges’ union and could trigger a rethink of its leadership team and how it selects officials, which he said should become more transparent and efficient.
- Parodi had become the leading public voice against the government’s justice overhaul, urging a No vote and fronting mobilizations, including the high-profile strike early last year.
- He hailed the 53.7% referendum result as a “values victory” and condemned harsh campaign rhetoric, while rejecting claims on social media that he neglected his prosecutorial work.
- The reform he opposed would separate the careers of judges and prosecutors, split the High Council of the Judiciary, and set up a new disciplinary body, a clash intense enough to prompt the president of the republic to urge mutual respect.