Di Maio: government appoints Lino Banfi to UNESCO Commission. The actor: I will bring smiles to serious places

“We take the opportunity to give Italy news, which fills me with pride as minister of economic development: as a government, we have appointed and identified maestro Lino Banfi who will go to represent Italy in the Italian commission for UNESCO.” Making the announcement of the appointment of the popular actor from Puglia is the minister of labor and economic development and political head of the 5-Star Movement, Luigi Di Maio, as part of an event promoted by the Pentastellati, in Rome, to explain the citizenship income to the press. Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte was also present at the event. “We made Lino Banfi a UNESCO heritage,” Di Maio then joked.

Lino Banfi, therefore, will become a member identified by the Ministry of Economic Development in the Italian National Commission for UNESCO(www.unesco.it/cni): established in 1950, the Commission’s purpose is to “foster the promotion, liaison, information, consultation and execution of UNESCO programs in Italy.” It is a body that plays a very important role, since it interfaces with the Italian government by giving opinions and recommendations on the elaboration of UNESCO programs, disseminates the ideals of the United Nations high organization aimed at the preservation of culture, submits candidacies for entry into the World Heritage List, makes proposals on the choice of members of the Italian delegations to the UNESCO General Conference, deals with projects that need financial support, and much more.

The commission is made up of experts identified to represent the entities that form it (the Parliament, the government, the ministries, the conference of regions and autonomous provinces, and the association of Italian NGOs): these are typically technicians and civil servants, but the appointment of Lino Banfi is not, however, the first involving a showman. For example, Folco Quilici (who, moreover, passed away last February) and Pupi Avati are also currently on the commission, as members representing the Ministry of Economic Development.

“This morning,” commented Lino Banfi, “the minister of cultural heritage wanted to see me. I say what do I have to do with culture? Then I discovered this post, it’s beautiful, because I think that the commissions so far have been done with people who are multiple graduates in this and that, who know well the geography, the places, the sites, the hypogea, all ’these things. I just want to bring a smile wherever, however, even in the most serious places.” As for his relationship with Di Maio, the actor recounted, “On my birthday in July, I saw him introduce me in an earwig shop, can I say that? With a bouquet of flowers. Like a ’raghezzo’: he made me tender because as an age he could be my nephew him, although, I told him, when he talks alone he is 32, when he talks with Salvini and the prime minister together, suddenly he is 55, I didn’t understand how ’what the hell’ he does. The nice thing about this gentleman is that he told me ’I don’t give a damn who you vote for, Banfi, but I owe you this tribute because you are Lino Banfi, I adore you, and you make three generations laugh.’ That stuck with me.” And now all that remains is to wait for theformal act that will sanction the nomination officially.

Di Maio: government appoints Lino Banfi to UNESCO Commission. The actor: I will bring smiles to serious places

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