Levi resigns from Frankfurt Book Fair role

President of the Federation of European Publishers (FEP) Ricardo Franco Levi has stepped down as commissioner for the participation of Italy as Guest of Honour at the Frankfurt Book Fair in 2024.

The resignation comes after news site Liber pointed out on 26th May 2023 that Levi’s son, Alberto, works for the marketing and PR firm IFC Next, based in Brussels, which has been employed to handle this year’s guest of honour programme at FBF.

Publishing Perspectives quotes Levi as saying: “IFC won the tender because it had the best and cheapest [bid]. My son never took care of the [Italian guest of honour] project.”

Now, FEP has released a statement of its “wholehearted support” to Levi for the full remaining term as president. He was unanimously elected by the FEP General Assembly in November 2022.

The statement continues: “FEP appreciates his expertise both in publishing and European affairs, which will both be very valuable in the coming months, especially with respect to the upcoming elections for the European Parliament and the new Commission.

“At the next General Assembly, on 15th June in Paris, the FEP members very much look forward to expressing their support to their President for his continual commitment and dedicated work on behalf of European publishers.”

Ricardo Franco Levi is also president of the Association of Italian Publishers (Associazione Italiana Editori,
AIE). In a statement shared on 29th May, the organisation said: "The Presidential Committee of the Italian Publishers Association, which met today, started the procedures for identifying the new president who will be elected at the next elective assembly scheduled for September. Ricardo Franco Levi will remain in office until the election of the new president."