Italian PM Meloni Criticizes 'Illiberal Drift' Following Comedian's Exit

Cultural Tensions in Italy

By Crispian Balmer

Political Backlash Against Comedian

ROME, Feb 8 (Reuters) - Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni accused centre-left opponents of trying to silence their critics in the entertainment world after a self-declared right-wing comedian pulled out of a hugely popular show.

Government's Response to Criticism

Andrea Pucci had been expected to appear at this month's Sanremo music festival, a week-long song contest that is the most popular television event of the year in Italy. 

RAI's Role in Cultural Debate

However, he abruptly quit the line-up on Sunday, saying he and his family had faced a wave of insults and threats after state broadcaster RAI announced he would be a co-host for one night of the festival.

Meloni immediately leapt to his defence.

"It's sobering that in 2026 an artist should feel forced to give up doing his job because of the climate of intimidation and hatred that has formed around him," she wrote on X, adding: "The illiberal drift of the left in Italy is becoming frightening."

Pucci is well-known for his politically incorrect jokes, which top-selling Italian daily Corriere della Sera this month said "belonged to the last century".

CRITICS SAY MELONI IS PURGING ITALIAN CULTURE

When it was announced that he would appear at Sanremo, the centre-left Democratic Party said he was "clearly right-wing, fascist, and homophobic." The politically neutral consumer group Codacons also weighed in, saying such a divisive figure should not be allowed to appear at the beloved contest.

The row over Pucci occurred against a backdrop of deep cultural tensions in Italy, with the centre-left accusing the ruling right-wing coalition of leading a purge of the country's media and arts sectors since taking power in 2022.

Government ministers have dismissed the accusations, saying the left believed it had a monopoly on Italian culture.

RAI is on the frontline of the battle, with critics dubbing it "TeleMeloni" because of the number of government supporters slotted into key positions.

The company has traditionally been packed with political appointees that reflect the government of the day, but critics say the right has a limited talent pool to draw on from the world of arts, undermining the broadcaster's reputation.

The issue hit the headlines again this weekend when a journalist with close ties to the right was entrusted with the RAI commentary on the opening of the Winter Olympic Games in northern Italy.

Most newspapers condemned a string of gaffes, which included mistaking an Italian actress for U.S. singer Mariah Carey and confusing the head of the International Olympic Committee Kirsty Coventry with the daughter of Italy's president.

"What else still has to happen to send this TeleMeloni packing?" two senior Democratic Party lawmakers, Sandro Ruotolo and Stefano Graziano said in a joint statement.

(Reporting by Crispian Balmer; Editing by Paul Simao)