Eike Schmidt, a native German, is running in the mayoral election in Florence. The museum boss is supported by Meloni’s right-wing camp – which also makes the election explosive nationwide.
They have known Eike Schmidt for a long time in Florence. He was a student and doctoral candidate there, and from 2015 he was director of the Uffizi – one of the most important museums in Italy. The now 56-year-old art historian has spent over a third of his adult life in the capital of Tuscany. Now the Freiburg native wants to become mayor of Florence.
Many Florentines have asked him to run for office in recent months, says Schmidt, who also accepted Italian citizenship last year.
Assertive and close to citizens
The cultural manager sharpened his public image, especially during his time at the helm of the Uffizi. In his eight years as head of the world-famous Florentine museum, Schmidt distinguished himself as an assertive, citizen-oriented modernizer – through record visitor numbers, record revenues and a new, visitor-friendly organization of museum operations.
His can-do image could now help him with his hoped-for leap into the executive chair in the Palazzo Vecchio town hall. Schmidt says he wants to run Florence “with a management approach.” For him, it’s about solving the specific problems of a city that has grown close to his heart. On the other hand, says the Medici expert, he is least interested in getting into politics.
Right-wing support in a center-left stronghold
Regardless, Schmidt’s candidacy is politically explosive: the German-born candidate is supported by the parties of Giorgia Meloni’s right-wing government – in a city that has been a stronghold of the Italian center-left camp for decades. If the former head of the Uffizi were to overturn the balance of power in previously red Florence, it would be a political earthquake of nationwide significance.
Schmidt announces that one of his main election campaign topics will be the fight for more security in the Renaissance city. “The city is suffering from increased crime,” complains the mayoral candidate. In particular, the city park on the Arno River, the Cascinen, has “become a center of international drug trafficking.” It is now a matter of “restoring security and public order”.
Schmidt also wants to do something about the fact that many Florentines can no longer afford to live in the historic center of the city.
The Palazzo Vecchio town hall (left) on the Piazza della Signoria in Florence – the workplace of the current and future mayor.
What are his chances?
The chances of Schmidt pulling off a political surprise are not bad. The former head of the Uffizi is the best-known candidate so far. The fact that the competition is hopelessly divided also plays into his hands. So far, four candidates from the center-left camp are running, and a fifth is expected to join soon.
Schmidt notes smugly that none of his competitors have a program yet. There is a danger that Florence will continue to drive on sight and that “no vision for the city will emerge”.
Schmidt is happy about the support of the Meloni coalition
About his own political profile, Schmidt says: He is “definitely a man of the middle.” It is important to him to run as a “non-party, independent candidate” for Florence. It should be noted that the art historian does not want to be placed in the right-wing corner – even though the most politically important support for him comes from the Meloni camp.
When asked about this, Schmidt said: “I’m very happy that I found support from the center parties, the center-right alliance that is now in government in Rome.” In his opinion, Schmidt adds, it is wrong to describe Meloni’s Brothers of Italy party as “far-right.” The party has opened up more and more to the center in recent years.
The fact that Schmidt wants to be elected mayor with the support of the Meloni coalition surprised many. As director of the Uffizi, the art historian worked closely with the then left-wing culture minister Franceschini. In Florence, however, the busy Schmidt has clashed several times with the local left-wing mayor Dario Nardella in recent years. Now he wants to succeed him – and wants his decision to be understood primarily as a local candidacy for a better Florence.
“Strengthens it communal Spirit of Europe”
In the government camp in Rome, people are broadening their horizons and are proud of the German-born Schmidt and his candidacy in Florence. “This strengthens the communal spirit of Europe,” says Culture Minister and Meloni confidant Gennaro Sangiuliano.
In order to run in Florence, Schmidt will have to leave his current job as director of the Capodimonte Museum in Naples, which he has held since the beginning of the year, for the duration of the election campaign. Schmidt announced that he would take this step more than 45 days before Election Day, as required by law.
Jörg Seisselberg, ARD Rome, tagesschau, April 7, 2024 9:00 p.m