Giusi Bartolozzi, former chief of staff at the Ministry of Justice, resigned yesterday following the decisive defeat of the governing coalition in the recent justice referendum. While center-right figures attempted to downplay the referendum’s outcome as merely a technical vote, the scale of the “No” vote proved too significant to ignore. Bartolozzi’s resignation, alongside that of Undersecretary of Justice Delmastro, marks the first high-profile fallout from the result.
The 56-year-ancient chief of staff had been in office since March 19, 2024, and quickly became a powerful figure within the ministry. Over the past year, she found herself at the center of multiple controversies, including the Almasri case – a full-blown legal matter where she is under investigation for making false statements to prosecutors – and her pre-referendum comments urging a “Yes” vote to “free ourselves from the judiciary,” which she described as a “firing squad.”
The Career of Bartolozzi: From Prosecutor to Powerful Chief of Staff
Giusi Bartolozzi, born in Sicily in 1969, is a trained magistrate. After qualifying as a lawyer in 1996, she passed the magistracy competition in 1999 and began working as a judge in 2002, initially in Gela and Palermo, before moving to the Court of Appeal in Rome in 2013. It was then that she transitioned into politics.
In 2018, Bartolozzi ran for office with Forza Italia in Sicily and was elected, taking a leave of absence from her judicial duties. During her term, she served on the Anti-Mafia Commission and the Constitutional Affairs Commission. However, tensions arose with Forza Italia, particularly in 2020 when she voted in favor of the Zan bill, and she subsequently left the party in 2021, aligning herself with Brothers of Italy.
Bartolozzi did not seek re-election in subsequent elections but, following the formation of the Meloni government, she was appointed vice-chief of staff at the Ministry of Justice. She quickly rose through the ranks, replacing then-chief of staff Alberto Rizzo in March 2024 – a move some attributed to the extensive powers granted to his deputy. For the past two years, she served as chief of staff, widely considered one of the most influential figures within the ministry.
The Almasri Scandal and Investigation for False Statements
The case that brought Bartolozzi’s name to national attention was that of General Almasri. The Libyan military officer, accused of crimes against humanity by the International Criminal Court, was apprehended in Italy in January of last year. Within days, however, Almasri was released on the initiative of the Meloni government – under the pretext of a technical error in the arrest procedures – and immediately flown back to Tripoli.
The incident quickly escalated into a major political controversy. The Italian government offered differing accounts of the decision to release Almasri, with some explanations, such as those provided by Minister Nordio, proving difficult to reconcile. An investigation was launched, and Bartolozzi’s name emerged as a key figure.
During Almasri’s brief detention, a significant amount of correspondence took place within the Ministry of Justice. Records show that Bartolozzi, not Nordio, personally managed the matter, requesting “maximum discretion” and “no emails or official protocols” from the head of the Department of Justice Affairs. Bartolozzi stated she was unconcerned, but in September it was revealed that she was under investigation for making false statements to prosecutors.
The “Firing Squad” Remark and the Referendum Defeat
The Almasri investigation remains ongoing, but Bartolozzi once again found herself in the spotlight during the justice referendum campaign. Many observers identified Bartolozzi and Delmastro as the driving forces behind the government’s justice reform – a reform that was ultimately rejected by voters.
During the referendum campaign, Bartolozzi vigorously defended the “Yes” side. In a particularly controversial statement, she urged voters to support the reform, stating, “Vote Yes and let’s get rid of the judiciary, which is a firing squad.”
That statement, made nine days before the vote, became a rallying cry for the “No” campaign. It also overshadowed a video released by Giorgia Meloni attempting to reassure undecided voters about the proposed reforms.
The defeat at the referendum has clearly shaken the Meloni government, and Bartolozzi’s resignation is a significant consequence. The situation highlights the challenges facing the government as it navigates a complex political landscape and seeks to implement its agenda. The coming weeks will be crucial as the government assesses the fallout from the referendum and charts a course forward.
