Following the mafia charges brought by the Palermo prosecutor against Giulio Andreotti, Piccoli intervened in his defense, stating that "whoever strikes Andreotti actually wants to weaken the role of Italy in Europe".
In reaction to the Palermo prosecutor's charges against Giulio Andreotti, Piccoli took steps to defend him, implying that anyone who targets Andreotti is trying to undermine Italy's influence and role in European politics.