Italian Chamber erupts over cancelled Giuseppe Conte hearing, session suspended

On August 4‑5, the Italian Chamber of Deputies descended into chaos when the chair of the Covid‑19 inquiry commission, Marco Lisei, cancelled the scheduled hearing of former prime minister Giuseppe Conte, citing overlapping parliamentary votes. Conte resigned from the commission, prompting accusations from the Brothers of Italy (FdI) and the Five Star Movement (M5S).

Heated exchanges led to the expulsion of M5S deputy Leonardo Donno and the suspension of the plenary session by Vice‑President Sergio Costa. FdI deputies accused Conte of avoiding scrutiny, while M5S leaders rebuked the government for politicising the inquiry. The incident highlighted deep partisan tensions surrounding the Covid‑19 investigation.