The Senate approves with the center-left’s votes to proceed against Calenda: Mastella will go to trial for defamation

The Senate gave the OK to the authorization to proceed, for review, against Carlo Calenda: the Action leader will therefore go to trial for aggravated defamation after being sued by Clemente Mastella for a tweet in which, according to the former Justice Minister, Calenda associated him with the mafia. The centre-left groups were in favor of the request with a total of 54 votes while the centre-right abstained with 85 votes. No votes against.

The vote in the chamber confirmed the vote of the Elections and Immunity Committee of 1 October, even in the lines between the majority and the opposition. With the only difference being the vote of Avs, which was absent on that occasion.

Last April 3rd, Calenda criticized the choice on Twitter Emma Bonino to make the United States of Europe list together with Matteo Renzi and to other centrists, in view of the European elections in June. “It makes no sense to make a list that includes movements that will go to different European political groups – he wrote on social media, addressing Bonino – It makes no sense to carry around, even through a third party, Cuffaro, Cesaro e Mastella. The culture of the mafia is the opposite of European values”. Words that infuriated the mayor of Benevento who immediately announced a lawsuit.

A trial for aggravated defamation has been opened in the case. The investigating judge of the Rome court had asked Palazzo Madama to decide whether to grant immunity to the parliamentarian.