by InTrieste
In a dramatic turn of events, Italy’s Culture Minister Gennaro Sangiuliano admitted to an affair with social media influencer and fashion entrepreneur Maria Rosaria Boccia during a tearful TV interview on Wednesday night. The scandal, which has rocked the government, centers on Sangiuliano’s failed attempt to appoint Boccia as a ministry advisor, a move that critics say exemplifies a conflict of interest.
Italy’s Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, however, has rejected the embattled minister’s offer to resign, a decision that may further inflame the political firestorm surrounding her administration.
During the interview, broadcast on state television RAI, Sangiuliano, 62, publicly apologized to his family, colleagues, and the nation. He also waved documents to support his claims that he had paid for all of Boccia’s travel expenses, aiming to dispel any suggestion of misuse of public funds.
“I am not blackmailable,” Sangiuliano stated emphatically, insisting that his relationship with Boccia did not compromise his work. He emphasized that no public money had been spent on her, asserting that she had neither attended confidential meetings nor accessed classified documents related to her alleged advisory role.
The affair began to unravel last week when Boccia, 41, thanked Sangiuliano on social media for appointing her as an advisor for major events within the culture ministry. The minister quickly refuted this claim, insisting she was never formally given the role and had not received “a euro, not even a coffee” from the ministry.
Sangiuliano’s emotional defense came as political pressure mounted. Matteo Renzi, the former Italian prime minister and leader of the Italia Viva party, harshly criticized the minister, declaring that he had become “the laughing stock of the country.”
Yet despite the storm of controversy, Sangiuliano has so far retained his position. His meeting with Prime Minister Meloni on Tuesday was a critical moment, with the minister reportedly reiterating his version of events as he had previously stated in an interview with La Stampa.
Boccia, however, has not remained silent. Following Sangiuliano’s interview, she released a screenshot of an email from his secretary that included boarding passes for flights taken by the pair, along with a recording of a phone conversation with a culture ministry official about her “appointment as advisor to the minister for major events.” Her revelations have raised further questions about the minister’s account and continued to fuel opposition calls for his resignation.
For now, Sangiuliano remains in office, but the scandal is far from over. The opposition continues to apply pressure, leaving Prime Minister Meloni to navigate the fallout from this deeply personal and increasingly public controversy.
