Cristina Manetti appointed Tuscany's new culture councillor

Cristina Manetti, a 44-year-old journalist and lawyer from Prato, has been appointed as the new culture councillor for the Tuscany region, filling a role that had been vacant for five years. During his first term, Governor Eugenio Giani had retained the culture portfolio himself, with mixed results, particularly in promoting contemporary art. Manetti, a member of the Casa Riformista party, previously served as Giani's chief of staff and spokesperson. She was the first woman to hold the chief of staff position in Tuscany in 2022. Manetti is also president of the Museo Casa di Dante since 2020 and founded the Toscana delle Donne project addressing gender equality and violence. In 2024, she received an award at the Festival Dantesco Fiorentino for her work on Dante and women's issues. Her appointment has sparked skepticism due to her close alignment with Giani's policies and a recent controversy over unauthorized driving in an emergency lane on the highway. The exact delegation of responsibilities, including whether she will handle culture or equal opportunities, will be clarified in the first council meeting. The region's cultural policy guidelines remain vague, with Giani deferring to the 'Stati generali della cultura' established in the previous legislature.