Italy's Lower House Debates Seizing Lawmaker's Chat Messages

Italy's lower house on Wednesday began debating whether to allow prosecutors to seize chat messages between lawmaker Andrea Delmastro and another individual, with opposition lawmakers staging protests. The chamber's authorization committee voted against granting the request, and the full chamber is now set to vote on that recommendation. During the session, Five Star Movement leader Giuseppe Conte criticized the government's absence from the chamber, saying no minister or undersecretary was present.

He accused the majority of shielding a party friend rather than addressing cost-of-living and wage issues. Lawmakers from the Green-Left Alliance (Avs) covered their eyes with handkerchiefs in protest, prompting the presiding deputy speaker, Anna Ascani, to call for order. Roberto Vannacci of the National Force party said his group would vote against the request, arguing Delmastro is not under investigation and should voluntarily release the chats.

M5S lawmaker Giuliano called the shield a farce, saying the majority is preventing prosecutors from obtaining relevant chats in a money-laundering and mafia-aggravated crimes investigation. "Fuori le chat" was the protest slogan.