The European Commission, an independent arm of the EU responsible for enforcing EU law, has given the Venice Biennale 30 days to “clear its name” regarding the inclusion of the Russian Pavilion in the 2026 edition, according to a report by La Repubblica, which reviewed the letter.
The letter, invoking the charge that the Biennale had violated EU sanctions against Russia, asks the exhibition to “respond to these allegations” and “inform us of any corrective measures you intend to adopt.” At stake is a €2 million ($2.3 million) grant that the commission is prepared to “suspend or terminate” entirely that would go toward the realization of the 2028 edition. If the Biennale reverses course on Russia’s inclusion, the commission will almost certainly move forward with disbursing the grant.
“In our view,” the letter reads, “the fact that—within the context of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine—the Biennale accepted the participation of Russian artists as a ‘governmental delegation’ (whose participation is entirely funded and promoted by the Russian government) via a national pavilion implies that the Biennale appears to have accepted indirect support from the Russian government in exchange for granting a cultural platform.”
The EU Commission’s Education and Culture Executive Agency sent the letter to Biennale president Pietrangelo Buttafuoco on Friday, April 10, with a deadline to respond of May 11, or two days after the Biennale’s public opening on May 9.
The European Commission has also directly reached out to Italy’s foreign ministry, via a March 26 letter, according to Repubblica. That letter similarly asks for the ministry to state its position on Russia’s inclusion, as “the pavilion could serve as a platform for messages sponsored” by Russia or “otherwise contribute to the circumvention of EU sanctions.” The commission asked for a response within a week, but reportedly has not received one. The ministry told Repubblica that it is still working on its response.
Per Repubblica, the foreign ministry is now coordinating with the culture ministry to formulate the response, with the latter department having sent over all the documents it had received from the Biennale. That response might be released earlier than the May 11 deadline, as the EU Foreign Affairs Council has an April 21 meeting with Russia’s inclusion on its agenda that Italy is expected to testify on.
The Biennale’s decision is also expected to come up this week when Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky meets Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni at the Palazzo Chigi in Rome on Wednesday. Zelensky’s government last week announced sanctions against five Russian culture figures who are involved in the 2026 Russian Pavilion, including its commissioner, Anastasia Karneeva.
So far, Meloni has avoided taking a position on Russia’s inclusion, though she has stressed the Biennale’s autonomy in its decision-making from the Italian government. Repubblica notes that Meloni’s attendance at the May 9 public opening is currently uncertain.
Matteo Salvini, Meloni’s deputy prime minister, called the European Commission’s threat to withhold funds “vulgar blackmail that is allegedly being carried out by the European bureaucracy,” adding “We are truly at madness,” according to Euro News.
