Staff dismissal

Giuliani an hour at Palazzo Chigi. Meloni reiterates support: cordial and fruitful relationship

The dismissed managers are Emanuele Merlino, head of the technical secretariat, and Elena Proietti, head of the minister's personal secretariat

by Rome Editorial Staff

10 May 2026Articolo aggiornato l’11 maggio 2026, ore 17:30

Licenziamenti al Mic, le opposizioni protestano: "Giuli si dimetta"

3' min read

Translated by AI

Versione italiana

Key points

Chigi sources, Meloni reiterates support for Giuli, cordial and fruitful relationship
Giuli skips EU Culture Ministers' meeting in Brussels
Confirmation from Fratelli d'Italia
The reasons for dismissals
Renzi: Giuli minister of arrogance

3' min read

Translated by AI

Versione italiana

Two redundancies at the Ministry of Culture throw the ministry back into chaos. Alessandro Giuli dismissed Emanuele Merlino, head of the technical secretariat, and Elena Proietti, head of the minister's personal secretariat, on Sunday 10. And on the afternoon of Monday 11 the minister spent about an hour at Palazzo Chigi in the government building, where Council President Giorgia Meloni had entered shortly before.

Chigi sources, Meloni reiterates support for Giuli, cordial and fruitful relationship

"During the meeting," Palazzo Chigi sources explained, "Minister Giuli expressed his gratitude to the Prime Minister, confirming his total support for the government coalition's programme." "The Prime Minister," they added, "reiterated his full willingness to support the action of a central Ministry for Italia. The solidity of a cordial and fruitful relationship between the Head of Government and Minister Giuli emerged, also on a formal level, relegating the controversies that have emerged in recent weeks to normal political dialectics, in a context made particularly complex by the current international scenario'.

Juli skips EU Culture Ministers' meeting in Brussels

Giuli will reportedly not be in Brussels to attend the EU Culture Council. The minister had been scheduled to attend in the Belgian capital in the past few hours. At the meeting of the Culture Ministers of the 27, among the dossiers on the table will be Russia's participation in the Venice Biennale.

The confirmation from Fratelli d'Italia

The news of the dismissals, anticipated by the Corriere della sera and then confirmed by a colleague of Giuli's, namely Francesco Lollobrigida, has unleashed turmoil within Fratelli d'Italia. Where, however, there is an attempt to scale down the case: when asked whether the culture minister is a problem for the government, Arianna Meloni, the premier's sister, head of the political secretariat and head of the Fratelli di Italia's membership office, replied: 'However, no, you are creating a case out of nothing'. The premier's sister added: 'It is, let's say, a natural dynamic that a minister may or may not choose his collaborator, I honestly do not see the news,' she continued, 'as usual, there are those who talk about results, about answers and those who instead make gossip, low chatter.

According to the Minister of Agriculture and, above all, the head of Fdi's delegation to the government, 'Giuli has seen fit, as is his right, to change the structure of his secretariat. This is neither the first time this has happened in this nor in previous governments. The cabinet must correspond to functional needs, at least for some roles directly dependent on the minister, to a relationship of total harmony. This is also why the law allows changes based solely on the fiduciary relationship in the specific post. I am certain that my colleague Mr Giuli will be able to identify the most suitable people to fill the roles in line with the fiduciary premise, as well as the competence, which is proper, I stress, to the offices of direct collaboration'.

As for Emanuele Merlino and Elena Proietti, Lollobrigida added, 'I believe they will be useful in other roles in the institutional sphere as their experience and ability is, as far as I am concerned, undisputed'.

The reasons for the redundancies

Let us start with Emanuele Merlino, son of Mario, a historical militant in the National Vanguard, and a man close to Palazzo Chigi, in particular to the undersecretary to the Prime Minister Fazzolari.

The reason would be related to the documentary on the doctoral student Giulio Regeni, who was kidnapped and murdered ten years ago in Egypt. The case broke out when the Ministry of Culture did not grant the funds to make it: a niet of which Merlino would have been aware.

The second case, on the other hand, is that of Elena Proietti, an exponent of Fratelli d'Italia in Umbria (not to be confused with Stefania, the current president of the centre-left region). For Proietti, the post of head of Giuli's personal secretariat was allegedly blown for not having participated in the minister's mission to New York last month, by not showing up at the airport.

Renzi: Giuli minister of arrogance

"A new episode in the Giuli affair, the minister of incompetent arrogance, a shaken horse in the most useless palio in history. Those who remember the extravagance with which Giuli began his ministerial term will certainly not be surprised to see the inglorious end the ministry is coming to. And to say that culture in Italia could be the country's real plus, but as long as you have people like Giuli to manage it, where do you want to go?' is the comment of Iv leader Matteo Renzi.