Italy's Big Change: Less Oversight, More Debate

Italy's government just made a bold move. They passed a new law that reduces the power of the court that checks how public money is spent. This court, known as the Court of Auditors, has been a strong watchdog, making sure Italy and the EU's rules are followed. The new law limits the court's ability to punish those who misuse public funds. Now, the maximum penalty is either 30% of the loss caused or two years' worth of the person's salary. This is a big change from before, where the penalties could be much higher. Another big change is the "silence means consent" rule. If an administrator asks the court for permission to spend money and the court doesn't respond within 30 days, the spending is automatically approved. This is meant to speed things up, but critics say it could lead to wasteful spending.The government argues that these changes will help the economy. They say it will speed up procedures and encourage politicians to approve public works without fear of being punished. However, magistrates and opposition lawmakers are not happy. They believe this will lead to waste and even illegal activities. This isn't the first time the government and the judiciary have clashed. Just two months ago, the Court of Auditors blocked a major government plan to build a bridge connecting Sicily to the mainland. The government was not happy about this and saw it as interference. The reform comes just before a bigger overhaul of Italy's justice system. This overhaul aims to separate the career paths of prosecutors and judges. The government says this will reduce conflicts of interest and political bias. However, this reform is controversial and will face a national referendum in the spring.