Conte at the Covid Commission: 5-hour hearing, what he said

On Thursday, August 6, 2026, Giuseppe Conte was heard by the Parliamentary Commission of Inquiry into the management of the Covid emergency . The hearing, which lasted approximately five hours at Palazzo San Macuto, concluded in the evening. The follow-up hearing has been scheduled for Monday, September 14.

The former Prime Minister, leader of the Five Star Movement, appeared in his capacity as head of the government that led the country through the most dramatic phase of the pandemic, between 2020 and early 2021.

A hearing awaited for two years

The hearing was scheduled for August 4th, but was later canceled following a political dispute between the majority and the Five Star Movement over the date. The hearing was finally set for late morning on August 6th.

Conte, who was a member of the Commission as a member of Parliament, resigned to be heard without conflicting roles. Michele Gubitosa took his place.

In recent months, Conte himself had urged the date. In a letter to Commission President Marco Lisei, he wrote that he had been requesting it for two years.

“You can dig as much as you want”

Conte began his speech by taking full legal responsibility for his statements: "I swear to tell the truth on my honor," he said before the commissioners.

“You can dig as hard as you want: you will never find anything illegal as far as I'm concerned, because there has never been any illegal behavior,” he added.

The former prime minister called the Commission "a firing squad against me and, at the same time, a safety net for the local administrators of their own parties."

He then claimed responsibility for the actions of his government: “We have been a model, in fact, in Italy and at an international level”.

The anonymous report on masks and the warning

The first issue addressed is the JC Electronics affair , a company at the center of a dispute over masks that ended with a €100 million settlement.

Conte reported that on Monday he filed with the Rome Prosecutor's Office a ten-page report received anonymously, dated April 14, 2022, requesting that it remain on file.

According to the former prime minister, the document shows that the packages stored in Pomezia did not correspond to the declared masks, with a batch of 7.857.000 pieces also cited in the ruling underlying the agreement.

"It's in the public interest that 100 million euros have been paid, which may be the price of counterfeit masks," he said, warning the administrations against making the payment.

President Lisei clarified: "It's outside our scope; we can't investigate events that occurred after the pandemic."

Defending the 2020 choices

Conte reconstructed the decisions of the most dramatic months: the state of emergency declared on January 31, 2020, the national lockdown in March, the Prime Ministerial Decrees (DPCM), and the relationship with the Technical-Scientific Committee.

Regarding the extension of the state of emergency, he said: "It wasn't a liberty-killing measure. The extension was necessary to activate the powers of the Civil Protection Department."

Regarding the Prime Ministerial Decrees, he spoke of a "proven technique for balancing rights," adopted at the proposal of the Minister of Health, after consulting with ministries, regions, and the Technical Technical Committee (CTS).

He recalled that Italy declared a state of national emergency before other countries: France, Germany, Great Britain, and Spain did so between March 15 and 24, 2020.

Vaccines and mandatory vaccinations for those over 50

Regarding the vaccination campaign, Conte asserted his freedom of choice: "When we left, we were first in Europe, along with Germany."

He credited the Draghi government with introducing the Green Pass and mandatory vaccination for those over 50, which came into force in early 2022 with a decree.

"I had a conversation with Draghi, and at the time he seemed convinced that chasing 400.000-500.000 workers made no sense," he said. "Then they introduced the obligation with the decree law."

The clash with Meloni

Conte attacked the prime minister: "Meloni went on TV calling me a criminal. She's the one behind all this," he said outside Palazzo San Macuto.

"Where were you during the pandemic? What did you do? Do you think an opposition force has no responsibility to the country?" he asked the commissioners.

Meloni responded on social media: "The truth about the pandemic is not a political attack. It's an Italian right." Conte responded: "I have always been there and always will be."

The next date

The hearing concluded after five hours. The follow-up was scheduled for Monday, September 14 , at Conte's request.

The commission, which is not judicial but fact-finding, will evaluate the statements for the final report on the management of the pandemic. Read more: Conte at the Covid Commission, the former prime minister's words.

FAQ

When was Conte's hearing in the Covid Commission?

Thursday, August 6, 2026, at Palazzo San Macuto. It lasted about five hours, until the evening.

Why did Conte resign from the Commission?

Because he was a member of the parliament. He resigned to be heard without conflicting roles; Michele Gubitosa took his place.

What did Conte file with the Rome Prosecutor's Office?

A ten-page report received anonymously, dated April 14, 2022, relating to the supply of masks from JC Electronics.

When is the next audition?

Monday, September 14, 2026.