July 16, 2025 — Italian Tradition Minister Alessandro Giuli is underneath hearth for indefinitely suspending the contracts of 11 museum administrators, a transfer dubbed the “freeze” that has sparked authorized appeals and accusations of political favoritism from the Democratic Social gathering (PD). The administrators, appointed underneath a 2015 reform by former Minister Dario Franceschini to modernize Italy’s state museums, had been knowledgeable in June 2025 that their contracts wouldn’t be renewed, leaving establishments just like the Uffizi Galleries, Galleria Borghese, and Palazzo Reale in Naples in limbo.
The suspensions, introduced with out a clear timeline for brand spanking new appointments, have drawn sharp criticism from the PD, which claims Giuli is stalling to put in loyalists aligned with Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s far-right Brothers of Italy social gathering. PD senator Franceschini, who authored the unique reform, accused Giuli of undermining Italy’s cultural autonomy, stating, “Do you wish to put associates in these roles? This freeze dangers paralyzing our museums.” The PD argues the transfer violates the 2015 regulation, which granted administrators mounted phrases and merit-based choice, and has known as for pressing parliamentary oversight.
Seven of the 11 administrators—Francesca Cappelletti (Galleria Borghese), Eike Schmidt (Uffizi), Cristiana Collu (Nationwide Gallery of Trendy Artwork), Edith Gabrielli (Vittoriano and Palazzo Venezia), Flaminia Gennari Santori (Barberini Corsini Galleries), Alfonsina Russo (Colosseum Archaeological Park), and Luigi La Rocca (Naples Museums)—have filed appeals with the Lazio Regional Administrative Courtroom to problem the suspensions. The court docket has but to rule, however the administrators argue the freeze lacks authorized grounding and disrupts museum operations, together with worldwide loans and exhibitions.
The controversy has fueled a broader debate about Italy’s cultural governance. Giuli defended the suspensions, claiming they permit for a “strategic assessment” to align museums with nationwide priorities, however critics see it as an influence seize. Artwork historian Tomaso Montanari known as the freeze a “political purge,” warning it may deter international expertise, as 4 of the suspended administrators are non-Italian. The uncertainty has already impacted establishments, with the Uffizi going through delays in deliberate 2026 exhibitions.
The PD has seized on the problem forward of regional elections, framing it as proof of Meloni’s authorities prioritizing cronyism over cultural heritage. “These museums are world treasures, not political playgrounds,” stated PD spokesperson Irene Manzi. In the meantime, Giuli insists new appointments can be merit-based, although no timeline has been offered.
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