(ANSA) - ROME, NOV 28 - Claims by Defence Minister Guido Crosetto that elements within the judiciary are forming "judicial opposition" to Premier Giorgia Meloni's government are a "very serious" accusation, Italian magistrates union ANM President Giuseppe Santalucia said on Tuesday.
    "'Judicial opposition' is an unacceptable term at a constitutional level. We are not a party that opposes the government," Santalucia told on Sky Tg 24.
    In an interview to Corriere della Sera published on Sunday Crosetto said he had "heard about meetings of a faction within the judiciary in which they talk about how to 'stop the anti-democratic drift Meloni is leading us to'".
    "Since we have seen all sorts of things in the past, if I know this country, I expect this season to open soon, before the European elections," said Crosetto, a member of Meloni's right-wing Brothers of Italy (FdI) party.
    Meanwhile, the parliamentary anti-mafia commission on Tuesday turned down a request from the left-wing opposition Democratic Party (PD) to schedule a hearing with the minister on the contents of the interview on grounds this does not fall within its remit.
    "In consideration of Minister Guido Crosetto's public willingness to report (on the matter), it is useful for him to do so in the most appropriate parliamentary fora," the commission said in a statement.
    Earlier in the day Crosetto said he would be glad to report to parliament but that, since he is not the justice minister, "out of institutional respect" he would prefer to do so in committees such as as the anti-mafia commission or Copasir (the intelligence-oversight commission).
    "I'll let them decide which they think is best," he said.
    (ANSA).