Italy’s government is trying to influence the state-owned broadcaster

But Mr Scurati never got to read it on air. RAI withdrew its commission. Mr Scurati said it was because it was critical of Giorgia Meloni and her refusal to disown the fascist past. RAI said that the reason was that he had demanded too high a fee. Ms Meloni responded with her usual deftness, claiming she did not know who was right and publishing the text of Mr Scurati’s talk on her Facebook page. Not that that was necessary: it had already been published in the press, from where it went viral on social media.