Sangiuliano tough on Sgarbi: I didn't want him, I find myself curbing his troubles

The interview you don’t expect: minister Gennaro Sangiuliano openly against undersecretary Vittorio Sgarbi, with very harsh statements to Fatto Quotidiano. It all starts from the article, signed by Thomas Mackinson, that the daily newspaper edited by Marco Travaglio published yesterday about the activities that Sgarbi holds outside his institutional post, and which according to the argument of the Fatto would be incompatible with his office, in particular they would not be in line with Law 215/2004 on conflict of interest. The Fact accuses Sgarbi of accruing about 300,000 euros in fees for conferences, inaugurations, presentations, and various activities that the undersecretary has held from February to the present, with invoices issued “mostly,” Mackinson’s piece reads, “by two companies of people close to him, both without employees and whose core business seems to be one: to make a profit from the critic-secretary’s cachet. They were created in 2017 and 2018, when Sgarbi was councillor for Cultural Heritage in Sicily, mayor of Sutri and president of various foundations, all roles likely to be incompatible with the activity of paid lecturer.”

Also yesterday came the response of Sgarbi’s lawyer, Giampaolo Cicconi, who returned the accusations to sender and announced legal action. “The lecturing activity of Undersecretary for Culture Vittorio Sgarbi, as well as the presentation of books, exhibitions and cultural initiatives of private or public entities,” the lawyer pointed out, “has never been in ’conflict of interest’ with his institutional duties, which are those-it should be reiterated-of the protection and preservation of cultural heritage.” Cicconi’s argument is that “protection is the exclusive competence of the state, which dictates the rules and issues the administrative measures necessary to guarantee it; enhancement is carried out in a concurrent manner between the state and the region, and also provides for the participation of private entities.” In addition, Cicconi cites anAgCom ruling, dated May 17, 2023, which “found that no incompatibility existed under Law no. 215/2004,” and adds that “precisely in order to avoid situations of potential conflict, careful verification is made from time to time, so much so that organizers of exhibitions, conferences and book presentations are contractually asked to declare that these are initiatives that do not enjoy any financial support from the Ministry of Culture, or even just patronage.” Ultimately, for Sgarbi’s lawyer, what his client does “is nothing more than a very normal work activity, as can be that of the journalist who participates, paid, in a conference, presents a book or brings a play to the stage.”

In spite of the lawyer’s clarifications, the Fact decided today to step up the dose with a new article, again signed by Mackinson, in which several activities, with respective compensation, that Sgarbi has carried out since he has been undersecretary are listed, and above all with the interview with Minister Sangiuliano in which the holder of the Roman College does not hide a certain unease.

“I am outraged by Sgarbi’s behavior, okay? I used to see him going around doing openings, exhibitions and so on. But never did I think he would charge for these things.” “I didn’t know anything,” the minister added, "I learned about it by reading the article in The Fact. But if until yesterday I could say I did not know now I do know, and therefore my responsibility is triggered. And in fact I will put in place a series of acts that could have consequences. But I don’t want to talk about this, I will do it with official acts."

“I certainly cannot know everything that Sgarbi is up to,” Sangiuliano declares. “I see him once every three months also because, I tell the truth, I keep him at a distance from my person, I want to have as little to do with him as possible.” And when asked how it is possible to keep a distance, given that Sgarbi is the undersecretary, Sangiuliano replies, “Sgarbi was not my choice. I should not be the one to possibly intervene since the undersecretary is appointed by the prime minister. As far as I am concerned, I gave him secondary delegations. He had proposed to me a reform of the art trade that I was very careful not to even remotely consider. And nevertheless I find myself curbing Sgarbi’s troubles.” What trouble would that be? “He goes around promising unrealizable things,” the minister says. “He announces purchases of buildings and things by the ministry that has only 20 million in the budget to buy assets. And I then later have to go and explain to the newspapers that this thing doesn’t exist, that it can’t be done, that there is a procedure, that you have to respect the laws, that everything has to be done with the State Property Agency.” It will take, the minister concludes, an antitrust audit to see “if that paid activity is against the law. It seems to me that it is, and in fact as soon as I learned about the matter on Friday, I took all the papers and immediately sent them to the Antitrust, which is the competent institution. And I can prove this.” Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, Sangiuliano points out, “is already informed, because I think that thing had also reached them [at Palazzo Chigi].”

The cracks that were already being felt between Sangiuliano and Sgarbi (not the least of which was the issue of the Italian Pavilion, with Sgarbi explicitly expressing his misgivings about the decision to entrust the Italian presence at the Venice Biennale to Luca Cerizza and Massimo Bartolini’s project) have thus become a real rift, and now all that remains is to see what will happen in the government.

Sangiuliano tough on Sgarbi: I didn't want him, I find myself curbing his troubles

Warning: the translation into English of the original Italian article was created using automatic tools. We undertake to review all articles, but we do not guarantee the total absence of inaccuracies in the translation due to the program. You can find the original by clicking on the ITA button. If you find any mistake,please contact us.