Meloni v the judges: high stakes for Italian PM in vote on judiciary overhaul

Supporters of the no campaign march in Rome before Italy’s referendum on changes to the organisation of the justice system. Photograph: Francesco Fotia/Reuters

In the run-up to a referendum in Italy on a government quest to overhaul the judiciary, a campaign flyer circulated online quoting Giorgia Meloni, the prime minister, taking aim at judges and feminists. “Judges block the deportations of rapists. Where are the feminists? Vote yes – there will not be another opportunity,” it read.

The flyer, posted on the Facebook page of Meloni’s Brothers of Italy, a party with neofascist roots, was subsequently removed. But its tone has defined a campaign dominated by inflammatory rhetoric rather than meaningful debate.