The German-born director of
Florence's Uffizi Galleries Eike Schmidt gained Italian
citizenship on Tuesday against the backdrop of apparent tension
with centre-left mayor Dario Nardella in relation to his
possible bid as city mayor on a centre-right ticket in municipal
elections next year.
"I have not heard from the mayor," said Schmidt after swearing
allegiance to the Italian Republic at Palazzo Vecchio, the city
hall.
"I have read that he said several times that he did not want to
talk to me because I was just a civil servant. On the contrary,
I started my life as a civil servant, now I am a state manager,
I talk to everyone, to civil servants, to assistants. I was very
pleased to appear before such a competent civil servant of the
Municipality of Florence" for the citizenship oath, added
Schmidt, who took up direction of one of the world's most
visited museums in 2015.
"I started this journey (towards citizenship, ed.) almost five
years ago, immediately after my reconfirmation" as director, he
continued, adding that the process took longer than expected due
to the Covid 19 pandemic and complicated paperwork requirements.
In an interview to Florence daily La Nazione published on
Tuesday Schmidt said he would comunicate his decision concerning
a possible mayoral bid in January.
"I cannot deny that many people stop me in the street, shake my
hand, ask me for a selfie and beg me to do something for the
city," he said.
"But now I am very focused on my work at the Uffizi," he
continued.
On Tuesday Nardella said "for the sake of seriousness it is
important to be very clear: either you are the director of a
museum, or you resign and run for political office".
"Schmidt would like to run for office by leaving the city with
the two cranes of the Uffizi building site, the delays on the
Vasari Corridor renovations and a nice little neighbourhood
garden at the exit of the museum," he told Italia 7 regional TV.
"For the election campaign, it seems to me to be an
extraordinary calling card," he added.
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