The refusal
Giorgia Meloni said she will not sign the Dpcm, the prime ministerial decree needed to unlock pay increases for magistrates. Speaking by phone to Adnkronos on 18 October, she declined in direct terms and gave her reasons. Palazzo Chigi sources confirmed the stance to the press the same afternoon. The decree would unfreeze increases provided for under several rulings of the Council of State.
She framed the decision around cost.
In conscience, I cannot put my signature on a Dpcm that would allocate almost one billion euros to salary increases for magistrates.
She said the sum is roughly ten times what the government is looking for to address the road haulage sector, where the dispute could halt deliveries of goods across Italy.
How the increases came about
Magistrates' pay is updated every three years on the basis of increases granted to other public employees. The recalculation uses Istat parameters and is then adopted through a Dpcm. The Associazione nazionale magistrati (ANM) and other judges' associations challenged the method, and the Tar and the Council of State ruled in their favour. The government's own appeals, handled by the State Attorney's Office (Avvocatura dello Stato), also went against it.
The money behind the dispute
The 2027 budget bill (Dpb) sets up a one-off fund for court rulings worth 1.9 billion euros, or 0.08% of GDP. Most of that money is reported to be earmarked for pay adjustments for magistrates, a link reported in the days before the decision. The estimated total cost of the recalculation is 979 million euros. Meloni's comparison is with road haulage, which needs at least 100 million euros. Palazzo Chigi sources set the choice against priorities after she returned from the European Council in Brussels, which was devoted largely to fuel prices and inflation.
The recalculation in numbers
The recalculation raises the increases from 4.85% to 6.22% for 2018-2020 and from 6.69% to 12.32% for 2021-2023. The 2021-2023 figure is the larger of the two revisions. Those percentages feed the estimated total of 979 million euros. The government is now looking for funds to support families and businesses hit by the cost of fuel.
Judges' association disputes the figures
The ANM disputes the sums in circulation, saying the following.
The actual amounts are far lower than those reported by the newspapers.
The association adds that the sums are pay components due by law that the administration failed to pay for years, so the final amount depends on how long payments were delayed. Palazzo Chigi sources say Meloni is ready to hear ANM representatives, expressing confidence that most magistrates understand the current situation and priorities.
What comes next
Faced with the prospect of a commissioner ad acta being appointed, Meloni confirmed her refusal to sign. She said the Council of State may appoint one if it sees fit.
If the Council of State considers it appropriate, it can appoint the commissioner. Each will assume their own responsibilities.
The decree therefore remains unsigned, while the government works to find cover for the measures aimed at the categories hit hardest by fuel costs.