The Day of the Interpol Probe into the Minetti Pardon

The morning was defined by the rapid escalation of the Nicole Minetti pardon controversy. Following the previous day's revelations regarding alleged falsehoods in her clemency application, President Mattarella requested urgent verification from the Justice Ministry. By midday, the Milan Prosecutor’s office characterized the case as involving "very serious facts" and confirmed the activation of Interpol. The Justice Ministry initially shifted responsibility to previous officials before Justice Minister Nordio was summoned to Palazzo Chigi for a high-level meeting. In the late afternoon, Prime Minister Meloni publicly defended the pardon process and Nordio, while acknowledging that the ongoing judicial investigation might reveal missing information. Internationally, editors focused on the Strait of Hormuz crisis and President Trump’s assertion that Iran is nearing collapse. In the early afternoon, news broke of the United Arab Emirates’ exit from OPEC, signaling a significant shift in regional alliances toward the United States and Israel. Domestically, the government approved a new labor decree while Istat officials forcefully defended the agency’s independence following criticism from the executive branch regarding deficit calculations.