Italian culture minister resigns over affair with influencer

Italy's culture minister has been forced to resign after his lover claimed that he gave her a job as a government adviser.

In his resignation letter, Gennaro Sangiuliano thanked Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni for defending him, the ANSA news agency reported on Friday.

The 62-year-old minister had been having an affair with a social media influencer more than 20 years his junior.

On August 26, 41-year-old Maria Rosaria Boccia took to Instagram to thank him for appointing her as an advisor for major events, including a meeting of G7 culture ministers planned for late September in Pompeii.

The ministry denied the appointment, and Sangiuliano denied paying her with state funds. The sidelined influencer then claimed to have accompanied the minister on several official trips.

It was then reported that the minister had been having an affair with Boccia. In an interview on broadcaster RAI's main news programme on Wednesday evening, he admitted the affair tearfully asked his wife and Meloni for forgiveness.

The former television journalist is a member of Meloni's right-wing Brothers of Italy party and took office with the change of government in October 2022.

Sangiuliano was known for making a number of gaffes, including once saying New York's famed Times Square was located in London.

On Meloni's suggestion, President Sergio Mattarella appointed Alessandro Giuli as the new culture minister. He was sworn in at the presidential palace on Friday evening.