Licio Gelli and the Referendum: Why the Venerable One's Ghost Still Divides Italy

Those who frequent the corridors of power in Rome know it well: there are ghosts that never truly leave. And among them, the most cumbersome, the most elegant, the most elusive, remains him: Licio Gelli. The Venerable Master of the P2 Lodge is not just a chapter of national history closed within the pages of textbooks. Today, in March 2026, just days before the referendum on justice, his name has once again become a wild card in the public debate. And not for posthumous celebrations, but for an uncomfortable truth: the Democratic Rebirth Plan, that document which dreamed of rewriting the rules of the State, seems to have become, for many, a prophecy.

The Son, the Minister, and the "Copyright" of History

It all started again with an interview that made the rounds on talk shows. Maurizio Gelli, Licio's son, with a calmness that sent a chill down many spines, explained that his father would have looked with extreme favor upon the current reform of the judiciary. "My father was far-sighted," he declared, sparking the ire of the No camp. Marco Travaglio, in his presentations, was blunt: this is a reform whose "noble father" is precisely the Venerable One. And Giuseppe Conte, now accustomed to wielding the populist stamp, upped the ante by talking about Licio Gelli's "copyright" on the entire referendum framework.

But the issue is more nuanced than a simple invocation. Because on the other side, Minister Carlo Nordio, with the typical composure of a Venetian inquisitor, had already fired back: if an idea is right, it doesn't matter who thought of it first. "I don't see why we shouldn't follow a correct opinion just because he said it," he repeated on several occasions, causing an uproar. And here's the rub. Because while it's true that the separation of careers was indeed a point in the Plan, those who have read that document know it was embedded in a very different context: the public prosecutor was to be placed under the executive, and the CSM (High Council of the Judiciary) was to answer to Parliament. A not insignificant difference, yet one that is systematically swept away in the whirlwind of political controversy.

The Toxic Legacy of an Anniversary

We live in a strange period, where anniversaries pile on top of each other. In recent weeks, there's been much talk about Anniversaries: The Italy of Licio Gelli, almost as if to come to terms with a country that no longer exists. But the truth is that Gelli's Italy, the one of covert plots, rogue intelligence services, and shady fixers, never completely disappeared. It just evolved. Today, while the center-left wrings its hands, evoking the specter of the P2 to stop the vote, there are those, like the League's frontman in Castelfiorentino, who urge sticking to the merits of the issue, avoiding "ideological positions."

Yet, the Venerable One's shadow is so long that even Nino Di Matteo, during a rally, had to admit the game is dirty: "The mafia members will vote Yes," he said, causing an uproar, but adding that they will do so because they feel legitimized by those who want to put a leash on magistrates. Heavy words, which prompted the Quirinal to urge everyone to lower the tone. But by now, the damage is done. The referendum is no longer just about justice: it's a referendum on who has the right to tell the story of this country.

The Business Behind the Myth

And here we get to the point that interests us analysts the most. Outside the courtrooms and talk shows, there's a buzzing market. Sales of essays analyzing the phenomenon, like those from the series Myths in Poetry - Licio Gelli - Laterza Giuseppe Edizioni, are literally exploding. Gelli's figure, now mainstreamed as the archetype of "shadow power," sells. It sells books, it sells investigations, it sells clicks. And it also sells a certain idea of populist judicial activism that, paradoxically, fuels both sides.

For those investing in political communication, the lesson is clear:

• Symbolic narrative beats technicalities: Evoking Gelli or the P2 triggers an immediate emotional response that no data on trial speed can ever match.
• Polarization is an annuity: The harsher the clash, the more advertising space and newspaper subscriptions are sold. The "Gelli case" is the perfect mud-slinging machine, but it's also the perfect cash machine.
• Short memory is a resource: Few remember the details of the Democratic Rebirth Plan, but everyone remembers the word "P2." That alone is enough to sway votes and create factions.

Looking beyond the upcoming voting Sunday, I expect that, regardless of the outcome, this referendum round will mark a turning point. For the first time in decades, the ghost of Licio Gelli has been invoked not as an archaeological relic, but as an active protagonist in the political debate. Whether Yes or No wins, whether the right or left wins, one thing is certain: the Venerable One, first from his exile in South America and then from the grave, has won his most important battle: still being, years later, the deciding factor in Italian public debate. And in a country that never truly comes to terms with its past, well, that, for goodness' sake, is news.