De Luca Rejects Navalnaya’s Call to Cancel Pro-Putin Conductor’s Concert

Campania: Governor Vincenzo De Luca on Tuesday rejected a call from the widow of Russian dissident Alexei Navalny, Julia Navalnaya, to cancel a concert at the Reggia di Caserta later this month by a conductor she described as a friend and ally of Vladimir Putin. Navalnaya expressed concerns over the conductor’s alleged association with the Russian president’s actions.

According to Ansa News Agency, De Luca emphasized the region’s commitment to peace and dialogue, stating that the exclusionary approach demanded by Navalnaya would not aid in achieving peace. “We have welcomed thousands of Ukrainian citizens into our territory, we have shown solidarity,” De Luca remarked. He argued that cutting off dialogue would only increase animosity and move further away from peace.

De Luca, supported by Culture Minister Alessandro Giuli, stood firm in his decision not to cancel Valery Gergiev’s concert on July 27 at the former Bourbon royal palace and UNESCO site near Naples. De Luca stated, “No appeal can be made to us; we are the only ones who have been fighting for a ceasefire for years, amidst everyone’s silence.”

He further criticized those who, in his view, selectively choose their causes, noting, “Obviously, those least qualified to speak out are those who don’t say a word about the genocide of children in Gaza and pretend to care about other things and other people who are part of the world of culture and art and who don’t have political decisions in their hands.”