Five Star Movement leader Giuseppe Conte has sent a formal letter to Senator Marco Lisei, president of the Parliamentary Commission investigating Italy's COVID-19 emergency management, demanding a concrete date for his testimony after weeks without response from the Presidency Offices.
In the letter sent Monday, Conte notes that despite repeated requests, he has received no reply on when he will be summoned to testify. He accuses commission members of directing accusations at him without granting the opportunity to respond in formal testimony. The M5S leader has stated he wants the hearing to clear his name regarding what he characterizes as politically motivated claims.
The commission, constituted in September, has heard multiple witnesses but has not yet scheduled the former prime minister, who led the country through the initial 2020 lockdowns and vaccine rollout. Conte previously wrote to parliamentary leadership asking them to intercede with Lisei and expedite scheduling.
Among the matters reportedly under commission scrutiny are allegations related to emergency procurement decisions during Conte's two consecutive governments (2018-2021), including questions about consulting payments, pandemic response timing, and emergency medical supply purchases. Conte has categorically rejected what he calls fabrications designed to rewrite the pandemic narrative.
The standoff underscores ongoing institutional tensions over how Italy conducts accountability investigations into pandemic-era decisions. For residents who lived through strict lockdowns and witnessed healthcare system strains, the commission represents an opportunity for formal accounting of decisions made during the crisis.
As of Monday, neither Lisei nor the Chamber presidents have publicly responded to Conte's letter. Whether Conte will ultimately testify, and under what conditions, remains uncertain.
