Italian minister resigns after ties to mafia restaurant emerge

The Italian politican had not declared his stake to parliament
An Italian justice undersecretary has resigned following reports of his alleged stake in a restaurant chain with mafia links, marking the first significant shake-up in Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni 's government since a bruising referendum defeat this week.

Andrea Delmastro, a member of Ms Meloni's Brothers of Italy party, came under scrutiny this month.

Mr Delmastro denied wrongdoing, stating he sold his stake once he learned of Mr Caroccia's mob-related conviction.

His position, however, worsened after La Repubblica newspaper published a 2023 photograph showing him with Mr Caroccia, an image the paper said indicated they knew each other.

It also emerged Mr Delmastro had not declared his stake to parliament, as was required.

In his resignation statement on Tuesday, he acknowledged a mistake but maintained his actions were not unlawful.

"I have always fought crime and achieved concrete, important results.

Although I did nothing wrong, I made an error of judgment, which I corrected as soon as I became aware of it.

I take responsibility for that," he said.

The scandal hung over the final days of campaigning last week for the referendum on the government's judicial reform, giving the opposition a fresh opening to criticise the coalition's handling of the justice ministry.

Both Meloni and Justice Minister Carlo Nordio have refused to resign following the referendum defeat, but Delmastro's position appeared increasingly untenable as the media dug into his track record.

Last year, he was given an eight-month suspended prison sentence for revealing classified information about an anarchist held under maximum security.

The news comes after voters on Monday rejected a judicial reform backed by conservative Premier Giorgia Meloni , delivering a stinging setback to the right-wing government one year ahead of national elections.

The proposed judicial reform had been billed by Meloni’s coalition as a key step toward streamlining Italy’s judicial system — long criticized as slow, bureaucratic, and vulnerable to political influence.

“Italian citizens have decided and we respect their decision as always,” Meloni said in a video posted on Instagram.

She pledged, as anticipated, to complete her mandate, which runs into 2027.

“We will move forward as we always have: with responsibility, determination, and above all, with respect for Italy and its people,” Meloni said, admitting some “regret for a missed opportunity to modernize Italy.”
The “No” camp won almost 54% of the vote against the government‑backed “Yes” campaign, which secured about 46%, according to final results released by the Interior Ministry.

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