Italian Minister of Culture Resigns Over Mistress Controversy

(Patria) - Italian Minister of Culture Gennaro Sangiuliano resigned yesterday due to controversy surrounding the advisory role of his former mistress, which became a burden for Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's government.

Sangiuliano, a 62-year-old former journalist, faced a media storm after self-proclaimed fashion entrepreneur Maria Rosaria Boccia stated last month that she had been appointed "advisor to the minister for major events".

The Ministry of Culture initially denied such an appointment, but Sangiuliano later explained that he had agreed to take her on as an unpaid advisor before changing his mind due to a conflict of interest.

"I consider it necessary for the institutions and for myself to resign," Sangiuliano wrote in his letter to Prime Minister Meloni yesterday, defending his actions and denying any violation of ministerial rules.

In an emotional TV interview on Wednesday, Sangiuliano admitted that Boccia was his mistress, apologizing to his wife and Giorgia Meloni, and added that the prime minister had rejected his initial offer of resignation.

The case dominated headlines and drew comparisons to past sexual and political scandals, including the infamous "bunga bunga" parties hosted by former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi.

Meloni quickly chose Alessandro Giuli, head of Rome's Museum of Contemporary Art MAXXI, as the new Minister of Culture. This is the first ministerial replacement in her right-wing government, which has operated solidly for the past two years, enjoying high approval ratings and facing a divided opposition.