Meloni: Notaries are valuable allies of the State in the fight against crime

First, a recognition: ‘The notary is the guardian of the law, a sort of magistrate of contracts who ensures the legality of transactions. But they are also a valuable ally of the State in preventing and combating crime, particularly offences relating to fraud and money laundering’. Then the claim: the Government has introduced ‘the most comprehensive and substantial package of reforms in the history of the Republic aimed at the professions. A comprehensive programme of reorganisation, modernisation and rationalisation that has encompassed all professional bodies and which professionals have been awaiting for decades’.

Giorgia Meloni addresses the 62nd National Congress of Notaries on the fourth anniversary of her government, the longest-serving since the founding of the Republic. Amid challenging times, with lorry blockades and fears of further street unrest, the Prime Minister is presented with a seal and a bouquet of tricolour flowers by President Vito Pace. And she draws inspiration precisely from notaries – “You are the professionals of trust; every time you affix your seal, you are telling someone, ‘you can rest assured, what you have built is safe’” – to emphasise that four years ago, ‘by swearing on the Constitution, we signed a contract with the Italian people’ and that upholding that pact has been the guiding principle of the Government’s actions. “Trust,” emphasises the Prime Minister, “is not inherited and cannot be demanded. It is earned day by day; it is renewed every morning, like a signature to be affixed anew. And so, every single day, we want to prove ourselves worthy of the trust that Italians have placed in us.”

The audience, comprising Ministers Ciriani, Calderone, Nordio and Zangrillo, as well as Under-Secretary Alfredo Mantovano, applauds warmly. This is partly because, in the European country with the highest number of such professionals, Meloni has nothing but praise for them: ‘We believe they are the foremost defenders of the rights of citizens. In courtrooms, in hospitals, in dealings with the state, in businesses and across the regions, you represent a wealth of expertise, value and merit.’ She describes them as ‘a fundamental pillar of this nation’, a ‘social, economic and cultural model unique on our continent’. She particularly praises the impartiality of notaries and their role in preventing disputes through checks carried out from the outset, quoting Francesco Carnelutti: ‘The more of a notary, the less of a judge’.

Remember that over 90 per cent of suspicious transaction reports – sent collectively by professionals and other operators in the financial sectors – originate from notaries. Meloni also thanks them ‘from the bottom of her heart’ for the collaboration on the Housing Plan, which aims to mobilise up to 10 billion in public funds to make at least 100,000 homes available over ten years. “It was by no means a foregone conclusion,” says Meloni, “that notaries would agree to help us bring down prices for families in difficulty and young couples, and to tackle the issue of housing difficulties.” A home, she adds, “is a sacred asset”.

The Prime Minister is keen to highlight the key challenges of the present day that affect professionals and require their active contribution. The first is artificial intelligence: ‘Understanding how we can seize the opportunities it brings whilst limiting the risks and preventing millions of people from being gradually pushed out of the labour market over time, and wealth from becoming increasingly concentrated and polarised, is a task we must undertake together.’