Italy: New CSM members elected following judicial elections

The election of the 20 judicial members of Italy’s High Council of the Judiciary (CSM) has concluded, signaling a shift in the council’s political balance. Results indicate a strengthening of progressive judicial groups, with AreaDg, Unicost, and the Autogoverno Diffuso-Magistratura Democratica network securing a combined majority of seats.

In contrast, the Magistratura Indipendente group saw a significant decline, dropping from seven seats in the previous term to four. Cosimo Ferri, a former Undersecretary of Justice and former leader of Magistratura Indipendente, was elected as an independent candidate.

The election saw high participation, with approximately 90 percent of the 2,500 eligible magistrates voting. While the judicial members are now proclaimed, the renewal of the CSM remains incomplete as Parliament must still elect the ten lay members. The process for these lay members is expected to be complex due to ongoing political disagreements between the government majority and the opposition.