The Eclipse of the Capital: why Rome continues to lose out on major international challenges

Some people were making light of it yesterday with a joke: “The Vatican is here: at least we can’t lose out on the 2033 Jubilee.” And it is certainly true, however, that apart from the Holy Year – which, by historical tradition, is an event that cannot be transferred to other cities – the capital struggles to compete for major international events. The latest setback came two days ago: the 2029 World Athletics Championships will be held in Nairobi, Kenya, and those in 2031 in Munich. No luck for the capital. A setback that also makes any hypothetical bid for the 2036 or 2040 Olympics much more complicated. If such a bid is to go ahead – and it is worth saying this straight away – it will have to be structured differently.

Once upon a time, there was a Rome of grand international dreams, a city capable of capturing the world’s attention: from the 1960 Olympics to the 1990 World Cup. Today, that potential seems to have become bogged down in a cycle of missed opportunities, political vetoes and a lack of ability to assert itself at the negotiating table. The recent exclusion from the race to host the World Athletics Championships is merely the latest chapter in a long series of closed doors. This trend highlights a persistent difficulty on the part of politicians in positioning the capital on the podium of major global events.

On the diplomatic front, the Expo 2030 defeat remains. A ruthless verdict in which Rome’s bid ran aground with just 17 votes, compared to Riyadh’s overwhelming 119, and even trailed behind Busan in South Korea. That event, which was supposed to reshape the Tor Vergata area, has turned into a wake-up call regarding the country’s actual ability to compete on the global stage. Things are no better with the EU institutions. In recent times, the capital has tried in vain to host several new EU agencies. Unfortunately, the same scenario has played out again. In early 2024, the race to host the European Anti-Money Laundering Authority (AMLA) ended with Frankfurt’s triumph. A few years later, history repeated itself with the newly established European Customs Authority (EUCA). Despite strong institutional backing and a proposal to redevelop a historic 1950s building in the EUR district, the joint vote by the European Parliament and the Council of the EU awarded the bid to Lille in France. Even when Italy makes a successful bid, Rome seems to remain on the sidelines. This occurred in 2017 during the race to host the EMA (the European Medicines Agency), when the country supported Milan, which was ultimately eliminated by a coin toss with Amsterdam. The same pattern emerged in the bids to host the 2027 Women’s World Cup, an idea that was shelved to focus efforts on Euro 2032, which will see the capital share the limelight in a joint organisation with Turkey. Attempts are being made to console ourselves with awards. The latest attempt is that of the Colosseo Metro C station, submitted to the Prix Versailles in the competition for the most beautiful passenger terminal. The finalists will be announced at the end of September, and the winner will be celebrated on 10 December in Paris. Let’s hope it goes well this time.