The culture and, specifically, the opera, they have never been considered essential goods by public administrations. Hence, in times of crisis and cutbacks, this, culture, who first and most significantly suffer from budget cuts and funding abandonment. As if the sensations produced by the lyric were not necessary and its food expendable.
The world of opera in Italy has started a strike against a decree signed yesterday by President Giorgio Napolitano, which affects the most important operas and concerts scheduled for the coming weeks in the country.
Napolitano yesterday signed a decree that reforms the fourteen lyrical foundations to which the State has allocated until now 240 millions of euros (some 319 millions of dollars) year. They have losses of 2.667 millions of euros (3.527 millions of dollars) Y 5.600 workers costing others 340 millions of euros (452 millions of dollars), informs hoy "La Repubblica".
For tomorrow the opera "Donna senz"ombra" in Florence and the "Barbero de Sevilla" in Turin have already been canceled, Monday 3 The Santa Cecilia concert in Rome will not take place in May, Thursday 6 May the symphony concert in Genoa has been canceled as well as the opera "Carmen" on 11 May in Bologna and “L”Oro del Reno” scheduled for the 13 May at La Scala in Milan, secure the websites of the theaters.
For Monday 17 May demonstrations of the fourteen foundations have been organized throughout Italy to protest against the decree.
What the workers criticize are the articles of the decree that change the criteria for assigning state subsidies to the performing arts and that may mean a loss in the salary mass of the 10 al 20 percent.
The decree establishes new criteria for the "rationalization of the organization and operation (of the foundations) based on the principles of efficiency, correct management and entrepreneurial spirit" and will be converted into law in 60 days.
