Italy's 5-day national mourning for Pope devastates cultural sector

Italy imposed five days of national mourning from April 22 to 26 following the death of Pope Francis, coinciding with the 80th anniversary of Liberation Day on April 25. The government, led by Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni who scheduled state visits to Uzbekistan during that period, linked the mourning to the Pope's funeral on April 26. The decree forced public institutions at national and local levels to cancel events, concerts, performances, presentations, and inaugurations. Some private entities followed suit, and municipalities like Milan revoked temporary public land concessions for events. Auto races and football matches remained unaffected. The cancellations disrupted travel plans, hotel bookings, train and airline tickets, and schedules of international guests who had already arrived in Italy. The author, Massimiliano Tonelli, estimates the damage in tens or hundreds of millions of euros and criticizes the ideological choice that harms cultural and economic ecosystems, calling for compensation and a future liberation from incompetent governance.