Published on the Tous Citoyens blog, a press release from several associations criticizes the visit to Nice of Italian conductor Beatrice Venezi, described as « neo-fascist » and close to the head of the Italian government Giorgia Meloni. The city of Nice has invited the Italian conductor to lead its Philharmonic Orchestra, for the traditional Christmas Ballet and New Year’s Concert.
Beatrice Venezi, daughter of Gabriele Venezi, former leader of the neo-fascist Forza Nuova party, is advisor to Italian Culture Minister Gennaro Sangiuliano.
The press release reads: « We would like to recall Beatrice Venezi’s political and intellectual stance, and her commitment to Giorgia Meloni, President of the Italian Council, as a music advisor. Very present in the Italian media, in May 2022 she attended the convention of the far-right Fratelli d’Italia party, and is keen to give the ideology she defends the greatest possible visibility, using her notoriety as a conductor to do so.
At a time when extreme right-wing extremism and fascism have become commonplace, the invitation extended to Ms. Venezi in Nice is a political gesture that we strongly oppose and denounce.
The use of her status as a woman to justify her invitation by the Nice Opera is unacceptable, given that she is a supporter of the Italian government, which claims to limit women’s rights and promotes values such as ‘God, family, fatherland’, inherited from Mussolini’s ideology. »
The city and the theater entrench themselves behind the demand for freedom of artistic expression.
