German mayor for Florence? Museum director wants to go to city hall
Published: Sunday, Apr 7th 2024, 13:11
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For many, Florence is the most beautiful city in Italy - and a German mayor could soon be in charge there. The long-standing director of the Uffizi Museum, Eike Schmidt, announced at the weekend that he wanted to take over as mayor of the Tuscan metropolis. The 56-year-old is running without a party ticket. However, he has the support of the center-right camp, which is in government in Rome with Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. The election will take place in June at the same time as the European elections.
Florence, with a population of just under 380,000, is currently governed by the left. However, there are many indications that there could be a change. The candidacy is possible because Schmidt is married to an Italian and has therefore also had an Italian passport for several months.
Until the end of last year, the Freiburg native was director of the Uffizi, one of the most famous museums in the world with five million visitors a year. He received much praise for his work across party lines. He is also considered to be very well connected. However, after two terms in office, his contract was not renewed, which would be extremely unusual for such important posts in Italy's cultural institutions. The trained art historian then moved to the Capodimonte National Museum in Naples in the same role.
However, even before his departure, there was speculation that this could only be a temporary farewell: Schmidt was very openly flirting with a move into politics. He has now made his candidacy for the position of mayor official. "I want to give back to the city what it has given me," said the art historian. This made him headline news across the country at the weekend: Never before has a German been at the helm of such a large city in Italy. He intends to take a leave of absence from the post in Naples for the duration of the election campaign.
Officially, Schmidt is entering the race as an independent with a so-called citizens' list. Nevertheless, it is clear that he is the candidate of the Meloni camp. The three governing parties in Rome - Fratelli d'Italia (Brothers of Italy), Lega and Forza Italia - have given him their united support. The right-wing culture minister Gennaro Sangiuiliano declared that a Mayor Schmidt in Florence would be the embodiment of a "European citizen". The hope of the center-right is to be able to conquer the traditionally left-wing city with a moderate candidate. This would be a triumph for Meloni.
Schmidt could benefit from the fact that the Italian left - as is so often the case - is also very preoccupied with itself in Florence. The social democratic incumbent Dario Nardella is no longer allowed to run for office after two terms. There are currently two rival candidates from the previously governing Partito Democratico (PD). Other candidates have also been announced. The center-right, on the other hand, is fairly united behind Schmidt - even if some in Meloni's party are offended by the fact that the museum director describes himself as an "anti-fascist". The Fratelli have their origins in the post-fascist movement.
Schmidt still lives with his wife in Florence, where he has been rooted since the 1990s. The art historian wrote his doctoral thesis on the ivory sculptures of the Medici, the city's most famous ruling family. His previous positions also include museums in Washington and Los Angeles. He holds an honorary professorship at the Humboldt University in Berlin.
Despite all the admiration, Florence today is also a city with considerable problems. These include, in particular, mass tourism with more than five million visitors from all over the world every year. Schmidt has already announced that, as mayor, he wants to do more to combat the excessive flow of tourists. He also named more safety in the streets and less bureaucracy as further goals.
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