Turin, 13 July (LaPresse) – “Europe, whether you like it or not, is consistent. The stance was clear. It is those who decided to give the Russian state a platform at the Biennale who have taken on a serious responsibility.” This was stated by Edmondo Cirielli, FdI Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs, in an interview with *La Repubblica*, regarding the European Union’s decision to withdraw two million euros in funding from the Venice Biennale for reopening the Russian pavilion. “I do not play with words or the politics of sanctions. Art and artists must be defended, always. But at the Biennale there was a pavilion commissioned and funded by the Russian state. So what is at stake is the entirely political choice of whether or not to adhere to measures intended to sanction, at every level, a country that has launched a war of aggression against Ukraine,” he added. “Was this, as Buttafuoco put it, the ‘Biennale of the truce’? It wasn’t agreed upon. In fact, Minister Giuli was opposed to it. Since then, the government has not taken an illiberal stance. But it comes as no surprise that Europe should stand by its policies and say: ‘We are withdrawing your funding’.”
Venice Biennale, Cirielli (FdI): “Cutting EU funding is consistent with our stance on Russia”
Turin, 13 July (LaPresse) – “Europe, whether you like it or not, is consistent. The stance was clear. It is those who decided to give the Russian state a platform at the Biennale who have taken on a serious responsibility.” This was stated by Edmondo Cirielli, FdI Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs, in an interview with *La Repubblica*, regarding the European Union’s decision to withdraw two million euros in funding from the Venice Biennale for reopening the Russian pavilion. “I do not play with words or the politics of sanctions. Art and artists must be defended, always. But at the Biennale there was a pavilion commissioned and funded by the Russian state. So what is at stake is the entirely political choice of whether or not to adhere to measures intended to sanction, at every level, a country that has launched a war of aggression against Ukraine,” he added. “Was this, as Buttafuoco put it, the ‘Biennale of the truce’? It wasn’t agreed upon. In fact, Minister Giuli was opposed to it. Since then, the government has not taken an illiberal stance. But it comes as no surprise that Europe should stand by its policies and say: ‘We are withdrawing your funding’.”
