A dozen local associations oppose the participation of Béatrice Venezi in the year-end festivities at the Nice Opera. They accuse the conductor, close to Giorgia Meloni, of being a “neo-fascist”.
Should we separate the person from the artist? Here, the question is rather: should we separate the renowned conductor from her far-right political beliefs? The opera answers in the affirmative. However, this is not up for debate for the Azurean inter-associative group (1), the source of this denunciation. Their answer is clear: no!
In a joint press release shared on July 10, fourteen entities from the local associative and union landscape declare: “In a context of normalization of the far-right and fascism, the invitation extended to Ms. Venezi to Nice constitutes a political gesture that we contest and firmly denounce.”
Indeed, the close associate of Giorgia Meloni, the President of the Italian Council, is invited to perform with her Philharmonic Orchestra at the Nice Opera for Giselle as part of the traditional New Year ballets and concert. Eight dates are scheduled from December 21 to 29.
Do not fuel “Italian neo-fascism”
The associations reproach the municipality for highlighting this political figure whom they label as a “neo-fascist”. Additionally, the timing of the invitation is unfavorable. “The favored period of the year-end festivities” is, for them, synonymous with “the spirit of exchange and sharing“. These are values they do not seem to associate with the conductor.
Daughter of Gabriele Venezi, a former political leader of an openly fascist party called Forza Nuova during the 2000s, she has also engaged in politics. She serves as an advisor to the Italian Minister of Culture, Gennaro Sangiuliano. It is this closeness to the Italian government that displeases the inter-associative group.
“Highlighting her status as a woman to justify her inclusion in the Nice Opera’s season is unacceptable, given that she is a supporter of the Italian government, which aims to limit women’s rights and promotes values like ‘God, family, homeland’, inherited from Mussolini’s ideology,” they write.
The collective calls on the mayor to cancel the event
“The City of Nice should not, under the guise of an artistic event and by manipulating the Nice Opera, give carte blanche to Italian neo-fascism”, reiterates the collective.
The musician has responded to this controversy on her social media. She appears to have no intention of canceling her visit to Nice; on the contrary, she writes: “Talent will never bow down to the unfortunate.”
The signatories call on Bertrand Rossi, the General Director of the Nice Côte d’Azur opera, as well as Christian Estrosi, the mayor of Nice, to withdraw the invitation to the Italian conductor. The artist had already performed in Nice in 2022.
(1) The signatories are the Association for Democracy in Nice, Friends of Democracy, CDDF06, CGT MNCA, Antifascist Committee 06, EELV 06, Ensemble! 06, Nice at Heart, Family Planning 06, Roya Citizen, All Citizens, The Citizen Gathering Viva!, NPA 06, and ATTAC 06.
