“Let me take this opportunity to clarify,” Meloni told reporters in Vilnius, Lithuania.

“There has been a lot of controversy, I have read curious things,” she continued.

“From my point of view there is no conflict with the judiciary.

“I think those who are counting on the return of conflict between politics and the judiciary will be disappointed,” she said.

Centre-left opposition Democratic Party (Pd) leader Elly Schlein on Wednesday described Meloni’s comments as an “ugly spectacle” for the country.

“She defends the indefensible,” Schlein said.

“She can say everything and its opposite. This is what we heard in Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s contradictory statements on justice.

“It is evident from today’s press conference that there are two Melonis.

“One who proudly claims the notes from Palazzo Chigi accusing the judiciary of being in opposition. And the other who denies any confrontation with the judiciary,” she added.

The case of Justice Undersecretary Andrea Delmastro, at the centre of recent tension between the government and magistrates is “political”, Meloni says. (Photo: ANSA)

Last week the government criticised a judge’s decision to forcibly indict Justice Undersecretary Andrea Delmastro for allegedly revealing classified information, suggesting that some magistrates had joined the opposition.

The criticism prompted the Italian union of magistrates ANM to accuse the government of delegitimising the judiciary, and on Wednesday magistrates belonging to the ‘AREA’ group called on the CSM to criticise its attack, calling it a “serious and unjustified accusation” that “calls into question the impartiality of the decisions and the independence of the judiciary”.

In recent weeks there have also been tense exchanges between Justice Minister Carlo Nordio and magistrates over proposed justice reforms.

“We have a clear agenda, a mandate that has been given to us by citizens, and we will carry it out because we are people who keep our promises,” Meloni told reporters in the Lithuanian capital in relation to the reforms.

“We agree that in Italy the justice system needs to be corrected, it needs to be made faster, more efficient, it needs to be and appear impartial,” she said.

Meloni said she had been “surprised” by the statement from ANM claiming the proposed separation of the career paths of prosecutors and judges so they can no longer switch from one side to the other is intended to punish magistrates for decisions the government doesn’t like.

“There is a risk of slipping into an debate that is not helpful,” Meloni said, adding that the government’s “historical goal” of career separation “and the choices that magistrates make on specific cases should (not) be lumped together”.

“They are two different issues, we need to make a distinction,” she continued.

“There is no desire on the part of the government to open a conflict” or to enact reform “against magistrates”, insisted Meloni.

“In fact, we hope to be able to do it with the contribution of magistrates,” she said.

ANSA