Justice Minister Carlo Nordio Criticizes Anti‑Fascist Certification for Book Fair

Justice Minister Carlo Nordio publicly opposed the introduction of an “anti‑fascist patent” that the organizers of the national small‑ and medium‑publisher fair “Più Libri Più Liberi” plan to require from participants in Rome next December. Nordio argued that “the most important penal code bears Mussolini’s signature,” referring to the 1930 Codice Rocco, and said the demand for an antifascist attestation was ideologically contradictory. He later clarified his comment as directed at the historic code itself. The proposal triggered sharp rebuke from the Democratic Party; Senator Dario Parrini labeled Nordio’s remarks “an obscene revisionist tribute to Mussolini.” The Guardasigilli also entered the debate, questioning the logic of the certification.

The controversy highlights tensions over how Italy’s publishing sector should enforce constitutional values amid lingering symbols of the fascist era.