Bitterness and sadness. This is how Vittorio Sgarbi reacted to the cancellation of the presentation of his book Stupore e fear scheduled for the Turin Book Fair, starting on Thursday 9 May. A decision arrived close to the opening of the event, the most important for publishing in Italy, motivated by his candidacy on the Fratelli d’Italia lists in the next European elections. «We follow the rules of the electoral campaign, of course. So the political candidates, it also seems to me to be a question of elegance, cannot present the books, but the Fair is open to everyone and we will welcome everyone with joy”, explained the director of the Fair, Annalena Benini. «It is with great bitterness that I learn of the cancellation of the presentation of my book on Michelangelo», said the former Undersecretary for Culture, who resigned in February, «the publishing house reassures me that it is not a matter of personal censorship (for which to cry against the regime like Scurati) but of an unwritten rule which provides that those who are candidates for elections (I imagine of any type) under a level playing field cannot present a book”. A decision that the politician and art critic brands as “well beyond absurdity”, recalling that he has never missed the Turin appointment, with related presentations for 36 years “and I am sure that in many years I will have encountered electoral opportunities” . According to Sgarbi, a coercive measure with its restrictive interpretation also extended to non-televised occasions, for which the level playing field was created – denounces the critic – is a disturbing signal for the recognized opposition between politics and culture, of which I was the victim in recent times, referring to the conclusion of his adventure as Undersecretary. «It is a sad moment for Italy because it establishes harmful incompatibilities and, through prohibitions and limitations, instead of guaranteeing equal rights, imposes false duties», he concludes. And he also surprisingly receives the support of minister Sangiuliano, who after the recent disagreements between the two intervenes hoping that Sgarbi «can always present his books everywhere. Indeed”, he adds, “sooner or later I too will ask him to be able to present a book by him together”.
