"Even Losing to Korea..." Italy Shocked by Expo Results

Riyad 119 votes · Busan 29 votes · Roma 17 votes
Roma Mayor "Very Disappointing Defeat"
Italian Media "Long Campaign... Gained Almost Nothing"

Disappointment is emerging in Italy, which ranked third in the vote to decide the host city for the 2030 World Expo. In particular, there are reactions describing the result as shocking, especially since Italy was even behind South Korea.

Italy Expo Promotional Poster

According to reports from major foreign media on the 28th (local time), after the announcement of the host city selection vote results, Rome Mayor Gualtieri told reporters, "It is a very disappointing defeat," and added, "We have no choice but to accept the defeat fairly."

He also encouraged by saying, "Riyadh's overwhelming victory," and "(Although we lost) Rome's bid was a beautiful project."

On that day, Rome received 17 votes, ranking third after Riyadh, Saudi Arabia with 119 votes and Busan with 29 votes in the first round of the host city selection vote held at the 173rd General Assembly of the International Bureau of Expositions (BIE) in Paris, France.

In the host city selection vote, if a country receives more than two-thirds of the votes from participating countries, it wins outright. Otherwise, a runoff vote is held. Saudi Arabia comfortably secured the 2030 Expo hosting rights without a runoff by obtaining 119 votes, exceeding the two-thirds threshold of 110 votes out of 165 participating countries.

On the afternoon of the 28th, the voting results for the selection of the host city for the 2030 World Expo were displayed on the press center monitor at the 173rd General Assembly of the International Bureau of Expositions (BIE) held at the Palais des Congr?s on the outskirts of Paris, France.
[Photo by Yonhap News]

Italy’s shock seems to have doubled as Rome was even behind Busan. An Italian daily pointed out, "The votes gained after three years of bidding are almost none," and "They did not even reach the minimum vote target."

Regarding the failure to host the Expo, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has not issued any particular statement. Meloni did not attend the BIE General Assembly that day. Instead, she appealed via a video message to choose Rome. Some speculate that Meloni’s absence from the assembly was due to her own judgment that Rome’s chances of winning were slim.