Rocco Casalino wins a €75 defamation lawsuit against Dagospia.

Rocco Casalino won the first round. Giuseppe Conte's former spokesman at Palazzo Chigi obtained a favorable ruling in the defamation lawsuit against Dagospia and its editor Roberto D'Agostino: the court awarded him €75 in damages.

Compensation for offenses during Covid

The legal battle primarily concerns the pandemic period, when Casalino was at the center of political news as spokesperson for the then Prime Minister. "I was severely vilified," the 54-year-old told Corriere della Sera, explaining that he never intended to take newspapers to court: "I've always believed that politics shouldn't take journalists to court. But things had gone too far."

According to Casalino, the line has been crossed when "a lie damages professionalism and reputation." It's one thing, he explains, to criticize the work of a spokesperson or spin doctor; "it's another to attribute to them actions they didn't commit."

Caution in view of the appeal

Dagospia has already announced an appeal against the first-instance ruling. And Casalino, though satisfied, isn't ready to claim victory: his lawyer, Tommaso Gioia, was reportedly surprised by his calm. "I prefer to be cautious: I want to wait for the second-instance ruling first and make sure Dagospia actually pays," he says. "Only after that will I celebrate."

After his years at Palazzo Chigi, the former spokesperson is now a well-known face on television, appearing on reality shows and daytime programs.