In a rare moment of political backbone and cultural clarity, Italian governor Vincenzo De Luca just told the EU to take a hike—and the symphony will play on.
The European Union, in its now routine chorus of outrage, demanded De Luca cancel an upcoming performance by world-famous Russian conductor Valery Gergiev. Why? Because Gergiev won’t publicly denounce Moscow over the Ukraine conflict. That’s it. That’s the crime.
But De Luca wasn’t having it.
The governor of Campania, the southern Italian region hosting the Un’Estate da RE festival, stood firm against Brussels’ pressure, saying in plain terms what too few leaders dare to say these days: art is not politics. And it damn well shouldn’t be treated like a battlefield.
Gergiev, along with the Salerno Philharmonic and soloists from Russia’s Mariinsky Theater, is scheduled to perform in Caserta on July 27. The announcement sparked immediate outrage in EU circles, with European Parliament VP Pina Picierno calling the concert “financing a supporter of a criminal regime.” The European Commission chimed in, urging venues across Europe not to host anyone who “justifies Kremlin aggression.”
De Luca’s answer? A firm and unapologetic no.
He took to social media and video to call out the madness, reminding critics that Campania is a land of culture, not cancel culture. He emphasized that music is a space for dialogue and solidarity—not a weapon in geopolitical games.
“The world of culture, art, and sports must remain free from politics and political agendas,” he declared. “It should be a space where dialogue, solidarity, and mutual understanding among people and nations can grow.”
Bravo.
Despite the noise from Brussels, the concert is moving forward. Italian media and even the BBC confirmed it: the show will go on.
Let’s be clear—this is about far more than one performance. This is a battle over whether the arts will be weaponized by bureaucrats and ideologues, or whether culture can stand apart, as a space for human connection in a time of division.
Valery Gergiev may be controversial in Western political circles, but he’s still one of Russia’s greatest living musicians. He’s been blacklisted by Carnegie Hall, the Met Opera, and countless other Western institutions simply for refusing to toe a political line. It’s the kind of ideological purge that once belonged to history books—not 21st-century Europe.
But Italy just drew a line in the sand.
It’s refreshing—no, vital—to see a leader like De Luca push back against the suffocating uniformity of the cancel brigade. Culture isn’t clean, it’s messy and human. And sometimes, the most courageous thing a politician can do is let the orchestra play.
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