In a significant development for Italy's judicial landscape, the Italian Parliament is set to reconvene today at 1 p.m. in a joint session to elect four new judges to the Constitutional Court.

Despite prolonged discussions extending late into the previous evening, a final consensus remained elusive.

High-level meetings were held at Palazzo Chigi involving top leaders from the ruling coalition in an attempt to secure agreement.

The negotiations have seen Fratelli d'Italia successfully rallying support for Francesco Saverio Marini, a legal advisor at Palazzo Chigi.

Meanwhile, Italy's Democratic Party (PD) has backed Massimo Luciani, a noted academic from the Accademia dei Lincei.

Another prominent figure under consideration is Valeria Mastroiacovo, president of the Catholic Jurists, along with Gabriella Palmieri Sandulli, a State counsel and advisor to the Italian National Olympic Committee (CONI).

However, uncertainty looms over the candidate put forth by Forza Italia.

The party is considering several possibilities, including Deputy Minister Francesco Paolo Sisto, Senator Pierantonio Zanettin, or potentially pivoting to an outsider, such as Andrea Di Porto, a professor at La Sapienza University.

Another possibility is Gabriella Palmieri Sandulli.

Forza Italia's leader and Deputy Prime Minister, Antonio Tajani, acknowledged the high caliber of the candidates under consideration, yet refrained from indicating a preference for parliamentary versus non-parliamentary selections.

Adding to the complexities are rumors suggesting that opposition to parliamentary figures assuming judicial roles stemmed from the President of Italy, Sergio Mattarella, though these have been categorically denied by the Presidential Office.

The President's role, as stated, is to ensure that constitutional criteria are adhered to during the nomination process.

Forza Italia faces strategic decisions, particularly regarding Francesco Paolo Sisto, whose transition from a government role to the Constitutional Court could trigger electoral complications.

Sisto's election from a single-member district in Bari would necessitate a by-election, posing a risk to Forza Italia's current advantage there.

In contrast, Pierantonio Zanettin's proportional election would enable a straightforward substitution with the next candidate on the party list but risks internal dissatisfaction within the party ranks.

The debate continued into the night, further fueled by opposition discussions casting doubt on the likelihood of a successful vote, potentially leading to yet another stalemated ballot.

Such an outcome would be significant, especially given the Constitutional Court's delay in proceeding with hearings related to referendums on differentiated autonomy.

As voting begins, Parliament requires a supermajority, needing votes equivalent to three-fifths of its members, to finalize the appointments during the thirteenth ballot for one judge and the fourth for the remaining three.

The clock ticks towards a critical decision in Italy's judicial and political arenas.