‘Beacon of the world’: ex-Uffizi chief vows to save Florence if elected mayor

Backed by Giorgia Meloni’s party, Eike Schmidt says cracking down on burger stands, crime and overtourism will help restore statusThe former director of the Uffizi gallery in Florence has promised a crackdown on crime and burger stands in his quest to restore the Tuscan capital to is former status as a cultural “beacon of the world”.German-born Eike Schmidt, 55, is standing in the city’s mayoral election on a civic list backed by the prime minister Giorgia Meloni’s