“The government finds the resources to implement judiciary decisions in favor of the judiciary, but who defends the weakest citizens?”. This is the question posed by Francesco Alimena, group leader of the PD in Cosenza, and Chiara Penna, president of the Municipality’s Legality and Institutional Activities Commission, in a speech on the priorities of the 2027 budget and the distribution of public resources.
The two councilors recall what was reported by Il Sole 24 Ore, according to which the maneuver could find space for up to 100 thousand euros each for some magistrates, including arrears and salary awards, following rulings from the Council of State which the government is called upon to implement.
«We do not dispute the right to obtain what may be due based on judicial decisions. But the issue is political: what are the government’s priorities in a country where many families struggle to make ends meet and there are people who live on less than 500 euros a month?”.
Requests to the government and the opposition
Alimena and Penna contrast the economic recognitions intended for some categories with the difficulties of citizens dealing with the high cost of living, insufficient wages, inadequate pensions, increases in fuel and energy prices and loss of purchasing power. In their speech they also mention the possibility that, after the magistrates, the increases will affect university professors and law enforcement agencies.
«Categories that perform important functions, but which make a political question even more evident: when will the turn of those who are in economic difficulty, of families who are unable to support essential expenses and of a middle class that is progressively impoverishing? For these people, they argue, structural and concrete interventions are not yet proportionate to the gravity of the situation.
The criticism also concerns the opposition, from which the councilors ask for greater determination. «When it comes to defending the “most beautiful Constitution in the world”, we raise our voices and proclaim principles and values. But when the issues concern institutionally strong categories, such as the judiciary, firmness always seems to fail.”
For Alimena and Penna, constitutional principles cannot be recalled only when they are politically convenient and the protection of rights must take into account the material conditions of citizens.
Legal aid and payment times
Another issue raised by the councilors is that of legal aid. In their speech they cite the circular from the Ministry of Justice of 25 July 2026: according to the reconstruction presented, in order for the deadline necessary to proceed with the payment to run, communication from the Registry would not be sufficient, but the provision would need to be notified to the interested parties. In the absence of notification, the deadline would be six months from publication.
«To speed up the path towards payment, the defender must therefore take on additional obligations and unnecessary costs, in a context in which many professionals already wait a long time to receive what is due», observe Alimena and Penna.
The consequences, they warn, may also concern the quality of the defense. In criminal proceedings, effective protection may require technical consultants and specialists: if these professionals renounce their assignments due to payment times, those who cannot cover the costs privately risk having more limited defensive tools at their disposal.
“The right to defense cannot be said to be fully guaranteed if economic conditions hinder its concrete exercise”, underline the two councilors, denouncing also on this front the absence of an adequate political confrontation.
«Transparent priorities and responses to those with less representation»
Alimena and Penna ask politicians to establish transparent priorities, evaluate the social impact of decisions and allocate resources in a manner consistent with the needs of the country, without leaving aside the impoverishment of the middle class, the precariousness of incomes and the conditions of those with fewer economic resources.
«We ask the government to take account of the budget choices and the criteria with which the priorities of the budget are identified. We ask the opposition to exercise its control function seriously and to the full, without selecting battles based on political convenience or the strength of the interlocutors.”
«The credibility of the institutions – they conclude – is also measured by the ability to provide answers to those who have less bargaining power, less representation and less possibility of making their voice heard. It is on this ground, that of social justice, equity in the distribution of resources and the effectiveness of rights, that the quality of government action and the political alternative is measured.”