900,000 attendees at a gathering where politics went unnoticed

Rimini, from our correspondent. The prevailing sentiment, which can be deeply sensed among the yoghurt shops, the tables where people enjoy ‘authentic Romagna burgers’ and even whilst queuing to use the toilets, is that this has been a watershed Meeting. Next year’s event, and those in the years to come, cannot be a return to the past, to the pre-2026 era. The watershed, the Moses who has split the history of this event in two – an event that, every late August, snatches tens of thousands of people of all ages from the beaches of the Riviera and catapults them into the Fairground – was the Pope. It was written at the start of the festival: it is he, Leone, who is the focal point of all attention. It is he who features in discussions about the highlights of this year’s edition. His portraits are on display everywhere, with giant ‘thank yous’ printed on them so they can be seen from a great distance. Photos of his arrival are already on display in the bars and at the stalls. 

The Augustinian Pontiff also had one tremendous merit: he reduced the usual motley crew of politicians – who usually take up entire pages in the newspapers during the six days of the event – to a virtually insignificant sideshow. They descend on the Meeting to discuss excise duties and wages, family allowances and programmes that can no longer be postponed to save and rebuild Europe in this hyper-globalised world which – they say – is no longer what it used to be. Assuring us, as always, that there is no time to waste. A press conference, a few cameras, a statement and that’s it – see you next year. This time, whilst sitting over an aperitif, people were wondering: when will Salvini turn up – on Tuesday or Wednesday? In other times, even the seven-year-old boy running round in his Inter shirt between the children’s bookshop and the stall selling Calabrian culinary specialities would have known. This Meeting demonstrates once again that people come here not to witness a debate on the fate of the Lega’s federal secretariat, nor to find out whether we’ll be voting under the current electoral law or the one the governing majority is pushing for: people come here – and there are those who come every single day, from morning till night, covering kilometres from one pavilion to the next, often dragging a trolley behind them to fill with books, gadgets and whatever else they find in the various pavilions – to experience something that touches the heart and embodies the human condition in all its dimensions: joys, struggles and sorrows. There’s a session on the reawakening of faith in France, and every seat is taken. The discussion turns to Ukraine, and as Yaryna Grusha and the Bishop of Kharkiv speak in the packed hall, you could hear a pin drop. The Bishop of Helsinki – a Basque who ended up in Scandinavia – can’t believe his eyes, entranced by what he has seen (it was his first time in Rimini). One would not wish to be in the organisers’ shoes, already tasked with planning the 2027 edition. It took forty-four years for a Pope to return, and who knows how long it will take for it to happen again. It could open with the Head of State, the Prime Minister, Mario Draghi, or the Patriarch of Jerusalem (who closed the Meeting yesterday at 7 pm), but, in short: it won’t be quite the same. The only thing to do is to immediately rule out comparisons and parallels, including those based on numbers, however inevitable they may be.

In a year’s time, many will remember the sixty thousand people who turned out in the sweltering heat of an August Saturday to shout “Long live the Pope”. Of course, it will be an election year, and we know that as elections draw near, the stage in Rimini becomes a highly attractive prospect. But when will the polls open – in spring or autumn? Depending on the date, everything would change: either a massive political platform to curry favour with a public that knows a thing or two about politics, or, who knows, an opportunity for the future Prime Minister – whoever that may be – to meet the public. It’s too early to tell, even though in a few weeks’ time those in charge will already be starting to plan next year’s Meeting. So heavily criticised by the snobs and a few ‘hypocrites’ who, as a rule, have never even set foot there. Yet in the end, it becomes one of the most eagerly awaited events of the Italian summer, almost on a par with the European Swimming or Athletics Championships. Here, over six days, there were 900,000 visitors. There were 150 talks, 13 exhibitions and 13 shows. More than 3,000 volunteers were involved. The next edition will take place from 20 to 25 August. The theme, announced yesterday, is “Courageous pioneers to safeguard humanity”.