Italian minister quits in row over lover’s appointment as adviser

Italy’s culture minister has resigned after a row over the appointment of his former mistress as a top adviser caused weeks of controversy for the the country’s right-wing government.

Gennaro Sangiuliano, 62, found himself at the centre of a media storm when Maria Rosaria Boccia – his ex-lover – posted on LinkedIn that she had been appointed as his adviser for “major events”.

He initially denied the claim, but in a tearful interview with state TV on Wednesday, Mr Sangiuliano admitted to the affair with Ms Boccia and to hiring her as an unpaid consultant.

On Friday, he finally handed in his resignation to Prime Minister Georgia Meloni, but denied that he had broken any ministerial rules.

Mr Sangiuliano also apologised to his wife in Wednesday’s interview and claimed that he had broken off his affair with Ms Boccia during the summer. He said he first met her in Naples in May, before their friendship transitioned into what he called a “sentimental relationship”.

Throughout the affair, Ms Boccia recorded her interactions with Mr Sangiuliano using her phone and a pair of RayBan Stories – sunglasses designed by Meta equipped with a camera and microphone. Many of the photos have since been posted to Instagram, with Ms Boccia insisting that there was “nothing illegal” about her secret recordings.

In the photos posted to her account, Ms Boccia documented numerous trips with Mr Sangiuliano on his official visits, prompting questions as to whether state money was spent on her travel or accommodation.

The minister denied any suggestion that public funds were spent on Ms Boccia, telling state TV on Wednesday that “not a single euro” was spent on her travels. He produced documents which he said backed up his assertion that he had paid for her expenses.

In an Instagram post just seconds after the interview concluded, Ms Boccia accused her former partner of “starting to tell lies”. It is unclear what exactly she was referring to.

Critics have also raised concerns that Ms Boccia had access to classified information, after photos showed her accompanying the minister to Pompeii – the site of next month’s meeting of G7 culture ministers. Other images showed that she had access to ministry offices and documents.

Since the couple parted ways, the 41-year-old has unleashed a stream of accusations against Mr Sangiuliano, winning her the nickname “the machine gunner” in the Italian press.

Ms Meloni thanked the outgoing culture minister for his “extraordinary work”, writing on X that his efforts had “allowed the Italian government to achieve important results in the relaunch and enhancement of Italy’s great cultural heritage, even beyond its national borders”.

But the debacle is the latest embarrassment to hit Ms Meloni’s government, which is led by her far-right Brothers of Italy party.

A number of her senior ministers have been investigated for a variety of scandals, including Daniela Santanchè, the tourism minister, who faced accusations of false accounting and fraud.

Francesco Lollobrigida, the agriculture minister, prompted fury after ordering a late-night high-speed train to let him off early. And Vittorio Sgarbi – a junior minister – was forced to resign after facing allegations of illegally acquiring a valuable Renaissance painting.

Ms Meloni appeared to express exasperation with her cabinet on Wednesday, telling ministers to employ more caution in their public activities.

“We are making history, and we all need to be aware of it,” the prime minister said during a meeting. “This does not allow for breaks and pauses, and much less for errors and false steps.”

Despite the scandals, her government has remained relatively popular in opinion polls, with Italy’s opposition remaining fractured among multiple parties.