Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has been dealt a fresh blow after her culture minister and close associate was forced to admit to having an affair with a social media influencer whom she was trying to hire as a ministerial consultant.
In an interview with Italy’s RAI state broadcaster on Wednesday night, Gennaro Sangiuliano, a Meloni supporter, said he had offered the prime minister his resignation but the prime minister refused.
The move comes in response to a scandal that erupted last week when social media influencer Maria Rosaria Boccia announced on Instagram that she had taken on a new role as an advisor to the culture ministry’s main events. The ministry denied the claims. Boccia released documents and photos of herself on a trip with Sangiuliano, including one she said was a reconnaissance trip for the G7 culture ministers’ meeting in Positano, Italy.
