Cultural and political journalist and writer Pietrangelo Buttafuoco was named new chairman of the Venice Biennale Foundation Thursday replacing Roberto Cicutto when the latter's term ends in March.Buttafuoco, 60, was named by rightwing Culture Minister Gennaro Sangiuliano and the opposition claimed the appointment was a sign of a continuing rightwing takeover of key cultural posts like state broadcaster Rai, which the government says is a traditional part of Italy's spoils system.Meloni's Brothers of Italy (FdI) party said the appoitment marked the "breaking of another glass ceiling", at a body where leftist placemen and cronies have allegedly traditionally been appointed.The eclectic Buttafuoco, one of Italy's top public intellectuals and a practising Muslim, was a far-right activist in his youth like Premier Giorgia Meloni but both have since espoused more traditionally conservative or rightwing positions.Buttafuoco, indeed, writes for leftwing daily Il Fatto Quotidiano, a fierce Meloni critic, and another liberal daily that staunchly opposes the premier, La Repubblica, as well as for centrist daily Il Foglio and business daily Il Sole 24 Ore.Buttafuoco's mooted candidacy as Sicily governor at the head of a rightwing ticket was allegedly scuppered by Meloni because of his recent conversion to Islam, which he explained as a return to tradition.A witty, waspish and provocative writer, his books include Fogli consanguinei (2003), Le uova del drago (2005), L'ultima del diavolo (2008), Fìmmini (2009), Il lupo e la luna (2011), Fuochi (2012), Il dolore pazzo dell'amore (2013), Buttanissima Sicilia. Dall'autonomia a Crocetta, tutta una rovina (2014), I cinque funerali della signora Göring (2014), Il feroce saracino (2015) and La notte tu mi fai impazzire (Skira, 2016).Former centre-left leader, Rome mayor and current cinema association ANICA President Francesco Rutelli told ANSA that BUttafuoco "is a never banal intellectual and he is sure to promote the richness and pluralism of what is one of the greatest cultural institutions in the world, and amongst the oldest."Historically, the strength of the Biennale has been being a great instrument of freedom."I am certain that Buttafuoco, a free spirit, will be able to continue this and interpret it in the best way". Culture Undersecretary, art critic and polemicist Vittorio Sgarbi said the appointment "is extraordinary news, not only for the quality of the man, but for the originality of his thought, and his conversion to Islam, too, is a guarantee of originality in its relationship between the history of the West and its decline which envisages dialogues by affinity, the restitution of shared values, and not conflicts. Long live Buttafuoco!"
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