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Giachetti Ends Chamber Protest After Majority Pledges Quorum for Rai Watchdog

The pledge to ensure quorum could restart the Rai watchdog after months of gridlock.

Overview

  • Roberto Giachetti ended his sit-in after the governing majority pledged to guarantee the legal quorum at the next meeting of the parliamentary commission that oversees Rai.
  • He thanked Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni for calling him, saying the conversation helped prompt the majority’s public commitment.
  • Before standing down, the Italia Viva deputy had handcuffed himself to his desk and shifted from a hunger strike to a thirst strike on day twelve to protest the freeze on the commission.
  • He had vowed not to leave without a public pledge as parliamentary medics and assistants monitored him in the chamber, while the chamber’s questore entered and the speaker voiced concern for his health.
  • The Vigilance Commission polices Italy’s public broadcaster and has sat idle for a long stretch, with allies like Carlo Calenda blaming the government and Deputy PM Antonio Tajani arguing the opposition blocked the election of the commission chair; a reconvened session will test whether the pledge holds.