After the No to the Olympics pronounced by mayor Virginia Raggi five years ago and the exclusion from the list of candidate cities to host the Eurovision Song Contest 2021, Rome is trying again with major events. And this time they all agree, from the current mayor to the other candidates who, together with her, will compete to win the seat of mayor. But above all, the Prime Minister, Mario Draghi, who signed today, agrees Rome's candidacy to host Expo 2030.
Six years after the Universal Exposition in Milan, Italy is trying again and this time it is betting everything on its capital in order to restore prestige to a city in a deep crisis, but also to attract public and private investments which are essential to get it going again.
In a letter sent to the candidates who will compete in the municipal elections next weekend, Draghi underlined that the event would represent "a great opportunity for the development of the city", but also a "demonstration of unity in favor of our capital". Hosting Expo 2030 in Rome, continued the premier "would mean a restart for all of Italy, with new and notable job opportunities and economic recovery“. Immediately afterwards, the Premier sent another letter, even more important, addressed to Dimitri Kyryakides, the general secretary of the BIE, the international body which supervises the organization of the Expos and which decides who will host it.
Rome is therefore officially one of the candidate cities to host the Universal Exposition together with Busan, port city of South Korea, a Ryad, capital of Saudi Arabia, and the Russian capital, Moscow.
EXPO 2030 THE CANDIDATE OF ROME
The idea of nominating Rome to host Expo 2020 was born in the summer of 2020 after a meeting between the mayor Raggi and the president of Unindustria, Angelo Camilli. A few months later, in November 2020, the first draft of the candidacy was sent to the Foreign Ministry, while the manager Giuseppe Scognamiglio, former national delegate to the Bie, was entrusted with the task of following the various stages of the candidacy.
Given the imminence of the vote, right from the early stages, Raggi decided to involve his challengers for the office of mayor, giving life to a candidacy shared by all. So much so that last June 24, in a joint letter, the aspiring mayors wrote: "Expo 2030 can represent a great opportunity for the definitive relaunch of Rome as an important international metropolis, capable of attracting investments, offering the world great innovation and urban regeneration projects, relaunching work and the economy of the entire country. This is why we ask Prime Minister Mario Draghi, and the entire government, to nominate Italy and its capital to host the Universal Exposition in 2030". We cannot miss an unrepeatable opportunity, they said, declaring themselves "ready to work together to seize it".
THE EXPO 2030 PROJECT
According to what was revealed by the Sun 24 Hours, the project for the Rome Expo 2030 provides for the construction of "an energy self-sufficiency pole in the eastern areas, between Tiburtina, Pietralata and San Basilio, with the recovery of industrial archaeological artefacts". A project for a horizontal city based on shared spaces, soft mobility and zero noise or environmental pollution.
THE REACTIONS
Whoever asks her today why she decided to endorse the candidacy of the Capital for the Universal Exposition after the No to the Olympics, Rays he replies thus: “The Olympics impoverish cities, the Expo enriches them”. Then on social networks he continues: "For Rome it is a particular source of pride because it goes beyond the story of a city where things cannot be done, on the contrary it is the demonstration that in Rome everything can be done and even better", he writes.
“A very good thing. We all shared this candidacy,” commented the center-left mayoral candidate in Rome, Roberto Gualtieri. “We will have to strengthen the mission structure for Expo 2030. There is a good chance of winning, I am confident”.
Satisfied too Carlo Calenda: “May God bless us, maybe it will be one more reason to talk to Milan in the coming months. He wanted us, after having given up on the Olympics, after this penitential idea of not making it, finally a good international challenge that Rome will win big ”.
For the president of the Lazio Region, Nicola Zingaretti “the candidacy of the Capital is undoubtedly an unmissable opportunity for our city, but also for Lazio and for the entire country. As the Lazio Region we are committed right now to this new important adventure, with that team spirit and unity of purpose that challenges like this require to be won".
