Italian art schools and conservatories revolt against reform stripping autonomy

On June 17, 2026, directors and presidents of Italy's Academies of Fine Arts, Conservatories, and ISIA sent a letter to Minister of University and Research Anna Maria Bernini opposing a proposed reform of DPR 132/2003. The reform, transmitted confidentially to CNAM on June 12, would radically alter governance of AFAM institutions by concentrating legal representation and administrative, financial, and disciplinary powers in the President—appointed via centralized mechanisms—while reducing the Director to a purely didactic-scientific role. It also introduces a Director General with appointed powers. The letter warns of a significant setback to autonomy, representativity, and self-governance, and criticizes the lack of prior consultation with institutions and unions. It argues the reform separates academic mission from institutional representation, contradicts Article 33 of the Constitution, and risks further distancing AFAM from the university system while failing to address real issues like underfunding, staffing, facilities, and recruitment. The signatories demand the withdrawal of the proposal and an urgent meeting with AFAM conferences.