Meloni reprend en main les musées italiens
Italy’s culture ministry under Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has appointed 14 new directors for so-called “second-tier” museums, reinforcing a shift away from the international “super-director” model introduced by the 2014 Franceschini reform. All appointees are Italian except for French director Axel Hémery, who was reappointed at the Pinacoteca di Siena due to his strong performance. The move follows the earlier ousting of foreign directors at top-tier museums, with only two foreign-born directors—Eike Schmidt and Gabriel Zuchtriegel—remaining, both of whom hold Italian citizenship.
This marks a deliberate ideological break from the Franceschini era, which prioritized managerial expertise and international openness. The Meloni government’s sovereignist agenda emphasizes national identity and political loyalty over global competition, raising concerns about favoritism and a retreat from the modernization of Italy’s museum system. While the structural autonomy of museums has been expanded—from 44 to 60 autonomous institutions—the shift signals a broader cultural and political realignment in how Italy manages its world-renowned heritage.