Orlando: Referendum Campaign Reveals Right’s ‘Punitive’ Intent, Sparking Growing ‘No’ Vote
Rome, February 18, 2026 – Former Justice Minister Andrea Orlando of the Democratic Party is currently touring Italy advocating for a ‘No’ vote in the upcoming referendum. Orlando reports growing public interest in opposing the proposed judicial reforms, attributing this shift to the right’s campaign of criticism against the judiciary.
“It’s true. Nothing is taken for granted but for some time now the meetings have been more popular. There is strong interest and a greater stance on the merits of the reform,” Orlando stated.
He believes the right’s attempt to discredit judges to garner support for the reform has backfired, leading citizens to recognize the true intent behind the proposed changes. “The campaign of demonization of the judiciary…has had unexpected effects for them,” Orlando explained.
According to Orlando, the stated goal of achieving parity between political parties is a pretext masking a desire for punitive action against the judiciary. “The excuse of parity…fails to hide the temptation of punitive action,” he said, characterizing the campaign as a conflict between the judiciary, and politics. “And it hurts to say it but, as unpopular as the judiciary is, it is less so than politics.”
Orlando also pointed to statements made by Nordio as contributing to the growing opposition to the referendum.