Scandal Rocks Italy’s Government as Culture Minister Admits Affair, Sparking Controversy for Meloni’s Cabinet
Italy’s Culture Minister Gennaro Sangiuliano has stepped down following a scandal involving the appointment of his former mistress as an unpaid adviser. The controversy had put pressure on Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s right-wing government for weeks.
Sangiuliano, 62, admitted in an emotional interview on state TV to an affair with Maria Rosaria Boccia, 41, whom he had appointed as a consultant for “major events.” The minister initially denied the relationship, but confessed to hiring Boccia, who had posted about her role on LinkedIn.
Despite his claims that no public funds were used for her travel during official trips, photos posted by Boccia on Instagram — including some taken with secret cameras in Meta’s Ray-Ban Stories sunglasses — raised concerns over her access to classified information. The scandal deepened as she publicly accused Sangiuliano of misconduct, earning the nickname “the machine gunner” in the Italian press.
Though Sangiuliano apologized to his wife and denied any wrongdoing, the pressure ultimately led him to resign. Meloni, while thanking him for his contributions to Italy’s cultural sector, urged her cabinet to exercise caution, following a series of scandals within her administration.
The resignation adds to a string of controversies plaguing Meloni’s government, which remains popular despite growing criticism of its ministers.
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