Luigi De Magistris will present his latest essay, Poteri occulti. Dalla P2 alla criminalità istituzionale: il golpe perenne contro Costituzione e democrazia (Fazi Editore), together with Lorenzo Guadagnucci.

The book:

As a magistrate, Luigi De Magistris led groundbreaking investigations into corruption and organized crime. In this essay, he highlights how the Italian Republic has been deeply influenced for decades by hidden powers, with collusions reaching the very heart of the state. These powers form a system that is often criminal and increasingly pervasive, intertwining the mafia, secret societies—both legitimate and deviant—intelligence services, entrepreneurs, financiers, politicians, and even segments of the judiciary.

Over the past thirty years, institutional criminality has grown, with hidden powers infiltrating state institutions and using them for illicit purposes, silencing or targeting those who dare to investigate or resist. From the First Republic to today—from the strategy of tension to the Piano di Rinascita Democratica of the P2 Lodge, from state-mafia negotiations to the authoritarian and pro-corruption policies of the Meloni government—this book reconstructs the subversive role of hidden powers in Italian history, describing an ongoing coup against the Constitution and democracy.

De Magistris exposes how modern criminal networks operate in the neoliberal era, denouncing widespread corruption and the resurgence of a new, cross-party P2 Lodge devoted to the looting of public resources. Despite the strength of this criminal system, there are still state officials, like De Magistris himself, who have fought and continue to fight for legality and justice—often at great personal cost.

The author:

After earning a law degree, Luigi De Magistris pursued a career as a magistrate, focusing primarily on crimes against public administration. His investigations implicated both local and national politicians and business leaders, leading to attacks, inspections, and parliamentary inquiries against him, ultimately resulting in the removal of his cases.

Deemed "environmentally incompatible," he was transferred from Catanzaro to Naples and stripped of his role as a prosecutor. In 2009, he resigned from the judiciary and was elected to the European Parliament on the Italia dei Valorilist. On July 20, 2009, he was appointed President of the European Parliament’s Budgetary Control Committee. On May 30, 2011, he was elected Mayor of Naples.

He has authored several books, including Giustizia e potere (Editori Riuniti, 2009), Assalto al PM (Chiarelettere, 2010), and La Costituzione e noi (Loffredo, 2011).