Mani Pulite (“Clean Hands”)
The Launch
What It Uncovered
Major Consequences
- On 17 February 1992, in Milan, Mario Chiesa (a member of the Italian Socialist Party, PSI) was arrested for accepting a bribe from a cleaning-company seeking a public contract.
- The arrest triggered a wider investigation by a team of Milan prosecutors, headed by Antonio Di Pietro, and soon the probe expanded beyond one man to much of Italy’s political-business nexus.
What It Uncovered
- A massive system of kickbacks and illicit party-financing tied to public contracts and political parties.
- At its peak, more than half of Parliament members and thousands of public officials were caught in overlapping investigations.
Major Consequences
- The scandal effectively ended the “First Republic” of Italy — many long-standing parties collapsed or were radically reshaped.
- It stirred massive public outrage, shook faith in politics, and led to major legal and electoral reform.
Sources
gla.ac.uk
The Controversial Legacy of 'Mani Pulite': A Critical Analysis of Italian Corruption and Anti-Corruption Policies