(ANSA) - ROME, NOV 28 - The German-born director of Florence's Uffizi Galleries Eike Schmidt gained Italian citizenship on Tuesday against the backdrop of apparent tension with centre-left mayor Dario Nardella in relation to his possible bid as city mayor on a centre-right ticket in municipal elections next year.
    "I have not heard from the mayor," said Schmidt after swearing allegiance to the Italian Republic at Palazzo Vecchio, the city hall.
    "I have read that he said several times that he did not want to talk to me because I was just a civil servant. On the contrary, I started my life as a civil servant, now I am a state manager, I talk to everyone, to civil servants, to assistants. I was very pleased to appear before such a competent civil servant of the Municipality of Florence" for the citizenship oath, added Schmidt, who took up direction of one of the world's most visited museums in 2015.
    "I started this journey (towards citizenship, ed.) almost five years ago, immediately after my reconfirmation" as director, he continued, adding that the process took longer than expected due to the Covid 19 pandemic and complicated paperwork requirements.
    In an interview to Florence daily La Nazione published on Tuesday Schmidt said he would comunicate his decision concerning a possible mayoral bid in January.
    "I cannot deny that many people stop me in the street, shake my hand, ask me for a selfie and beg me to do something for the city," he said.
    "But now I am very focused on my work at the Uffizi," he continued.
    On Tuesday Nardella said "for the sake of seriousness it is important to be very clear: either you are the director of a museum, or you resign and run for political office".
    "Schmidt would like to run for office by leaving the city with the two cranes of the Uffizi building site, the delays on the Vasari Corridor renovations and a nice little neighbourhood garden at the exit of the museum," he told Italia 7 regional TV.
    "For the election campaign, it seems to me to be an extraordinary calling card," he added. (ANSA).