Italy opened the Expo Milano 2015 yesterday, torn between hopes that the showcase of global culture and technology will cheer up a gloomy national mood and fears that it will be overshadowed by scandal, delays and street protests.
Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi, who is counting on the expo to reinforce fragile signs of economic recovery, said the event will be a litmus test for the future of Italy after years of stagnation and recession.
However, the event has already faced a corruption investigation that saw several top officials in the organizing body arrested, cost overruns, and construction hold-ups that meant large parts of the 110-hectare site was not ready for opening day.
Photo: AP
Planned demonstrations by anti-expo campaigners and fears of security incidents following a gun attack in a Milan courthouse last month have also dampened the mood.
Officials say the problems will be forgotten once the six-month-long exhibition of products and technologies from around the world begins. The opening ceremony was to include a message from Pope Francis relayed by television link from the Vatican.
With 10 million tickets already sold, organizers are counting on 20 million people attending and hope overall revenue will top 10 billion euros (US$10.75 billion), half of it from foreign visitors.
Photo: AFP
However, the fair, which follows the Expo Shanghai in 2010, has also rallied a diverse range of protest movements, from anti-globalization and environmentalist groups to students and anti-austerity campaigners.
Expo Milano features interactive technological displays on the theme of “Feeding the Planet,” with national pavilions from 54 countries presenting educational exhibitions and samples of local cuisine.
Cultural events, futuristic architecture, a “supermarket of the future” and dozens of restaurants fill the site.
In all, 145 countries are taking part, with 54 national pavilions.
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