2023-05-08 18:47:41
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The managing director of Rai, Carlos Fuortes, announced his resignation on Monday May 8 in the face of pressure from the far-right government of Giorgia Meloni, the Italian Prime Minister. Illustrative photo taken in Rome, in June 2009.
ITALY – Its opponents see it as a takeover of the public service of culture by the ultra-conservative executive of Giorgia Meloni in Italy. Faced with pressure from the government of the Italian Prime Minister, the boss of Rai, the Italian state radio and television, announced this Monday, May 8, his resignation, and two French opera directors should follow.
By virtue of a vast game of musical chairs, the Meloni government, the most right-wing that the country has known since the Second World War, is indeed seeking to place people of confidence at the head of Rai, as well as other prestigious public institutions.
Latest trophy to date, that of Carlo Fuortes, the managing director of Rai, who justified his departure on Monday by the pressures exerted on him by his supervisory authorities. In a letter to the Ministry of Economy and Finance on which he depends, Carlo Fuortes says he refuses the changes in editorial line and programming that he does not “ does not consider in the interests of Rai”.
“A political conflict which concerns my position and my person”
Appointed by the previous government of Mario Draghi, he stresses that “ since the beginning of 2023, there has been a political conflict which concerns my position and my person and which weakens Rai”. Fratelli d’Italia (FDI), the far-right party of Giorgia Meloni, seized the audiovisual policeman in September 2022 once morest Carlo Fuortes. The political formation denounced in particular the presence on the air of the French philosopher Bernard-Henri Lévy, who had castigated the Italian right but without contradictory debate, while the electoral campaign was to end a few days later.
Before arriving at Rai, Carlos Fuortes was the head of the Opera Theater in Rome, and the government would consider giving him a golden cupboard by giving him the direction of the Naples Opera. But Thursday, a Council of Ministers adopted several decisions, including a measure immediately baptized by the media “ the Fuortes article » : this decision requires all directors of lyrical theaters over the age of 70 to leave their post by June 10 at the latest.
Maneuvers for total control of public broadcasting
Stéphane Lissner, the French director of the Naples Opera, finds himself in this situation and his departure should make it possible to relocate Carlos Fuortes. According to sources in his entourage quoted Monday by the daily La Repubblica, he should not, however, run for this position. According to this same decree, Dominique Meyer, at the head of La Scala in Milan, would also be hit by the age limit in 2025. Asked by AFP, Stéphane Lissner and Dominique Meyer did not wish to react immediately .
For the boss of one of the parties of the Italian left, Nicola Fratoianni, “ with the resignation of Fuortes begins the maneuvers for the total control of the public audiovisual “. “The government does not even have the patience to wait for the normal terms of office”deplores Roberto Zaccaria, former president of Rai, professor of constitutional law and former left-wing deputy, interviewed by AFP. “You have to have respect for institutions and not manipulate them to satisfy your own political and personal demands”he recommends.
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