The Expo2030 award is coming soon. And Rome still hopes. On November 28, at the Palais des Congrès in Issy-les-Moulineaux, near Paris, during the 173rd General Assembly of the Bureau International des Expositions (BIE) the final decision on Expo 2030, after two years of intense competition. They are in the running Roma, Busan (South Korea) and the favourite Riyadh (Saudi Arabia).
The vote
All The ceremony will begin at 13,30pm in which the delegations of the competing cities they will have 20 minutes each to make a final appeal and convince the 182 delegates from their respective countries. The debut will be Busan, which has been assigned the order number 1, then Rome and Riyadh. Then it will be time for the vote which will be secret.
During the vote, i delegates will be isolated. The procedure will be quick: a device similar to a remote control distributed to each delegate will be used to make the choice in a few minutes. THE four keys numbered correspond to Busan (1), Rome (2), Riyadh (3) and abstention (4).
They are needed to win 120 preferences (a two-thirds majority). In case of no winner in the first round, a runoff between the two candidates most voted.
Il verdict is expected around 17pm.
The last appeal
It will be one race to the last vote. We will initially try to avoid elimination on the “first round” and subsequently we will try to obtain the votes of an eliminated candidate who will be able to vote for one of the two finalists or abstain. The three candidates will have 20 minutes for a final appeal, involving prominent figures in politics, culture and entertainment to influence the undecided.
Ryad favorite but Rome still hopes
The main favorite seems to be Riyadh which at the moment should have 90 votes while Rome has 50 and Busan 30. However, many are still undecided and diplomacy remains fundamental in these cases.
The capital hopes above all that Riyadh does not win in the first round, opening up the possibility of a run-off and a potential revenge in the dynamics of the vote.
Arabia can count on one great promotional campaign (also arrived on the As Roma shirts) and on the sponsor of France with President Emmanuel Macron openly expressing his support for the Saudi candidacy. A situation that has created discontent and embarrassment within the country and the European Union precisely due to the lack of support for another EU member.
However, the Saudi monarchy is subject to a damaged international reputation due to human rights violations, including those of women, LGBT+ communities and the high number of executions. Just a few months ago, due to serious concerns about human rights violations, 15 organizations wrote to the member states of the Bureau International des Expositions (BIE), urging them to do not vote in favor of the candidacy of the Middle Eastern capital. A clear embarrassment for France, which also saw the mayor of Paris express his moral support for Rome.
The forecast for Expo 2030 in Rome
THEExpo 2030 in Rome, it is estimated, would attract over 23 million visitors, with 55% coming from Italy. More than 150 nations are expected to participate, as well as 30 local and international organizations. The expected economic impact is 50 billion euros, with the creation of 300.000 new jobs.
