Meloni Defends Govt After Affair Scandal Prompts Minister's Resignation

Facts

• Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has claimed that her right-wing coalition government won't be affected by the love affair scandal that prompted her culture minister to quit on Friday.^[1][2]
• Gennaro Sangiuliano offered his resignation after admitting to an extramarital affair with social media influencer Maria Rosaria Boccia, whom he had hired as a ministry consultant.^[3][4]
• Meloni further took aim at Boccia, who posted to Instagram interactions with Sangiuliano she recorded using her phone and a pair of RayBan Stories. The PM argued that women 'should earn a place in society' in a very different way to that proposed by Boccia.^[1][3]
• The prosecutor of the Lazio Audit Court has opened an investigation to evaluate potential misuse of public money in the case, and a minor party leader filed a formal complaint over concerns that the woman had access to classified information.^[3][5][6]
• Alessandro Giuli, a conservative journalist who had been in charge of Rome's MAXXI museum of contemporary art and architecture since 2022, has already been sworn in as the new culture minister.^[7][8]
• This is the first cabinet change since Meloni took office in 2022, with her European affairs minister set to leave his post soon for a role in the European Commission. Her tourism minister, Daniela Santanchè, is also under investigation for alleged fraud.^[2][9]

Sources: ^[1]Agenzia ANSA, ^[2]Reuters, ^[3]BBC News, ^[4]POLITICO, ^[5]Agenzia Nova, ^[6]Financial Times, ^[7]Associated Press, ^[8]The Artnewspaper and ^[9]Daily Mail.

Narratives

• Left narrative, as provided by Bloomberg and Artnet News. Meloni pledged to complete her five-year term without any cabinet changes, so this resignation may indicate that a political crisis looms, as a no-confidence vote is likely if she loses another minister. Additionally, by appointing Giuli, she has doubled down on her goal to use culture to promote her damaging far-right agenda.
• Right narrative, as provided by Sky News and The Telegraph. Given Giorgia Meloni's popularity, and the fact that Italians are somewhat used to political sex scandals, the resignation of Sangiuliano is likely to close this case once and for all, as well as prevent any threats to the stability of the right-wing government. It's time to move on and let private matters be dealt with in private.