Rai, Fuortes resigns: “In the interest of the company”

The Chief Executive Officer of Rai Carlo Fuortes communicated his resignation to the Minister of Economy and Finance. On the decision, Fuortes said: “I have been working in the public administration for decades and I have always acted in the interests of the institutions I have led, favoring the general benefit of the community over partisan conveniences”. And he added: «I therefore acknowledge that there are no longer the conditions to continue my work as managing director».

«In the first year of work of the new Board of Directors with the Draghi government – explains Fuortes – the Board has achieved great results for the Company. To name just a few: new programs and schedules which have led, among other things, to an evident relaunch of Rai2, the organizational transformation for Generi, a strategic real estate plan that has been awaited for decades, a significant strengthening of RaiPlay and the digital offer. Since the beginning of 2023, a political clash has erupted over the position I hold and over myself, which contributes to weakening Rai and the public service. At the same time I noticed within the Board of Directors of Rai the lack of the constructive attitude that had characterized him, indispensable for the management of the first Italian cultural company. This actually threatens to paralyze it, making it unable to meet the obligations and deadlines of company programming with the risk of making it impossible to face the great challenges of Rai’s future. In the coming weeks, the Board of Directors must decide on the programs for the new schedules and it is a fact that there are no longer the conditions to continue the editorial renewal project that we undertook in 2021″.

«In order to obtain approval by the Board of Directors of the new production plans, I cannot accept the compromise of sharing changes – although obviously legitimate – of the editorial line and a programming that I do not consider in Rai’s interest. I have always considered the freedom of choice and of the work of a director to be an essential element of the ethics of a public company. My professional future – which has been much discussed in the newspapers these days, not always by the way – is of no importance given these reasons and cannot be the subject of negotiation. I therefore acknowledge that there are no longer the conditions to continue my work as managing director. In the interest of the Company, I communicated my resignation to the Minister of Economy and Finance», concluded Fuortes.