by InTrieste
Interviews: Massimiliano Fedriga, Governor of the Friuli Venezia Giulia Region; Donata Vianelli, rector of the University of Trieste; Patrizia Castaldini, Chief Public Prosecutor, Tribunal of Trieste; Luca Ciriani, Minister for Relations with Parliament; Debora Serracchiani, Member of the Italian Parliament and Democratic Party
At the opening ceremony of the 2026 judicial year in Trieste on Saturday morning, 31 January, regional and national officials, senior magistrates, and members of Italy’s judicial oversight bodies gathered to assess the state of the justice system, against the backdrop of mounting debates over migration, public security, and a forthcoming constitutional referendum on judicial reform.
Speaking on the sidelines of the ceremony, held in the Aula Magna of the University of Trieste, the governor of the Friuli Venezia Giulia region, Massimiliano Fedriga, said he shared concerns expressed by the prosecutor general about the need to strengthen judicial structures. He warned that, in addition to existing challenges, further strain could result from increased arrivals from countries where rates of crime and illegal behavior are higher than those recorded among Italian citizens.
The prosecutor general, Carlo Maria Zampi, citing his institutional role, chose not to address the political dimensions of the proposed judicial reform. Nonetheless, the issue loomed over the proceedings, particularly as speakers repeatedly returned to what they described as the most urgent concern for those who work daily in courtrooms: severe shortages of personnel and resources. Recruitment, officials said, has failed to keep pace with retirements and departures. At the Trieste Court of Appeal alone, 45 administrative positions are currently vacant out of an authorized staff of 72.
The question of cultural integration was addressed by Giuseppe De Rosa, the vice president of the Court of Appeal. He observed that in the past, newcomers to Trieste were gradually absorbed into the city’s social and cultural fabric, a process often referred to locally as becoming “Triestinized.” Today, he said, the opposite dynamic is increasingly evident, with some arrivals becoming “de-Triestinized” and “de-Friulianized,” contributing to forms of cultural marginalization that institutions are now being challenged to confront.
The ceremony also exposed sharp divisions over the government’s proposed reform of the judiciary, which would restructure the careers and oversight mechanisms of judges and prosecutors. Mariafrancesca Abenavoli, a delegate from Italy’s High Council of the Judiciary (C.S.M.), delivered one of the strongest critiques, arguing that the introduction of selection by lottery for governing bodies would be incompatible with their constitutional role and inherently undemocratic, replacing electoral legitimacy with chance.
Among the political figures in attendance was Luca Ciriani, Italy’s minister for relations with Parliament, whom we interviewed on the margins of the event. Mr. Ciriani defended the reform, which will go to a confirmatory referendum in March after failing to secure a two-thirds majority in Parliament. He described it as an effort to align Italy’s judicial system with what he called more advanced European standards and to reinforce the principle of a judge who is neutral between prosecution and defense.
On the other hand, Deborah Serracchiani, former governor of Friuli Venezia Giulia and part of the democratic party, added that the reform “is against our constitution and the independence of judges. We need more investments in justice but not this reform.”
Taken together, the speeches and exchanges underscored the range of challenges facing Italy’s justice system, particularly in a border region like Friuli Venezia Giulia, where migration pressures, institutional reform, staffing shortages, and questions of cultural integration intersect.
