Assault on Culture Decree: League proposes amendment weakening superintendencies

Due to arrive next Monday, Feb. 3, in the House chamber is the “culture” decree law, approved by the Council of Ministers on Dec. 23.“The Decree approved today is a first step to respond to the needs of the culture value chain and to give a perspective, to affirm an international vision of a new Ministry of Culture,” declared Alessandro Giuli on Dec. 23. Just as a reminder, the “decree law” is supposed to serve only in cases of urgency and necessity, but in this case, as in others in the Republic’s recent past, the urgency is hard to see: the main measures passed two days before Christmas are the creation of a new management structure (with managers taken from outside the ministry), more funds for print publishing, funds to some specific structures (National Historical Council, Museum of Photography ...) and corrective streamlining of previous measures.

These days it has been the turn of the amendments: nearly two hundred those presented by deputies in the 7th Culture, Science and Education Committee of the Chamber. Consideration is ongoing, and is expected to conclude tomorrow. The majority of the amendments have been deemed inadmissible, while 71 will be voted on. There’s a little bit of everything: from more money for publishing or more money for historic carnivals, to staffing the ministry, rationalizing existing resources, and expanding the categories that will benefit. One in particular has the stamp of the Ministry: it is the one presented by rapporteur Federico Mollicone (FdI) that envisages setting up a steering committee, costing 866,000 euros a year, composed of three managers chosen from outside the Ministry of Culture and five officials, for the “Olivetti Plan for Culture” promoted in Article 1 of the decree. Cabina di regia already failed, for economic reasons, in the Council of Ministers that had approved the decree, so the “Plan” is for now an empty box, without staff or funds.

Superintendencies “tied up”: back-and-forth

But it is an amendment that has already been declared inadmissible (but which will most likely be resubmitted in the courtroom reworded, given the premises) that is holding court in these hours. It is the one presented by the League, with MP Gianangelo Bof, that envisages putting its hand to the Cultural Heritage Code by making the opinions of the Superintendencies no longer binding, except in some specific cases (assets that have monumental importance). It would mean a free hand for private construction, paneling near landscape assets, and tied hands in the case of particularly impactful public works.

“A serious attack on the protection of Italy’s cultural heritage and a dangerous precedent that risks compromising the urban planning of our cities. This proposal, disguised as ’simplification,’ risks translating into harmful deregulation,” commented, pointing out the amendment, the Pd group leader in the House Culture Committee, Irene Manzi. The League chose the path of political vindication and, with a series of press releases (with the same words attributed from time to time to parliamentarians in the territory), declared yesterday afternoon, to an amendment already deemed inadmissible: “Simplification, efficiency and speeding up practices for our mayors and citizens. With an amendment presented to the dl Cultura by Lega deputy Gianangelo Bof, we foresee that the opinion of the Superintendence will no longer be binding for practices involving public works, except those of historical or monumental importance. More autonomy to our mayors on urban planning decisions and less bureaucracy, following the path traced by Matteo Salvini with the Salva-Casa. Onward to approval: aim to free municipal offices from so much paperwork and unblock public works.” Ministry sources let it be known that Minister Giuli will give a negative opinion to the amendment, if resubmitted, also because it would be a change to the code of enormous impact. But the political challenge, including within the majority, is on. “This is what some politicians think of our heritage protection bodies: an obstacle, a hindrance to get rid of,” the Mi Riconosci association comments caustically.

Amendments withdrawn, amendments to return

It made less noise, but was immediately stigmatized by the unions, another amendment, proposed by Simona Loizzo (League) and others, which provided for the stabilization of superintendents in office with a fiduciary appointment (i.e., without having passed a competition for managers, as an exception) for more than 30 months, about 15 people. Fp CGIL, Confsal Unsa, Uilpa and Usb Pi commented, “Of particular concern is the rule, proposed by the same majority, which has as its purpose the stabilization - solely by interview - of officials who, by virtue of a fiduciary appointment that has already lasted for quite some time and in fact has already expired, would become managers of the IInd band.” Fiduciary appointments, according to the unions, “can make up for emergency situations but they cannot, nor should they, become the rule, nor can they be interpreted as the antechamber to ex lege stabilization, much less by oral interview.” This amendment was also withdrawn yesterday.

But the discussion on the pivotal measure of cultural policies 2025, a year moreover of spending review and cuts, continues with amendments and press releases-not the healthiest and most useful way to build solutions. But what Parliament has given itself for years to be able to intervene on measures already passed by the government.

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