Rome – The center-right's candidate for mayor has been chosen to challenge the incumbent, Roberto Gualtieri, in mid-2027. This could be Antonio Rinaldi, the Northern League's candidate, or another candidate from the Brothers of Italy (FdI). The League and the government have committed to funding several projects in the Lazio region and Rome.
And finally, the commitment to the fourth runway at Fiumicino Airport. These are the issues that the regional secretary of the League, Davide Bordoni, discussed in an interview with the Dire news agency. Below is an excerpt from his speech.
The center-right candidate for mayor
"Rinaldi? If a candidate is worthy, he or she can represent the coalition, even if he or she comes from a smaller party. We still have time. Immediately after the referendum, we need to work on the center-right candidate. Rome is central to the national landscape," Bordoni began in the interview. "It goes without saying, therefore, that it's important to start discussing this issue early."
In the past, the center-right has been late, and this cannot happen again. As the League, we wanted to shake up the entire center-right with Rinaldi. Because now, choices need to be made, not only on the name, but also on the strategies and the program. Rinaldi, an economist and university professor, former MEP, and president of Trevi, is an uncoordinated candidacy, but it is a genuine one, committed to his city's civic life, which is why he also resigned from his previous position.
It could work very well: we've put it on the table of the center-right and now we're asking for a clear timeframe to decide. It's not possible to choose the mayoral candidate in the last few months, as happened in recent years, when we as the center-right failed to emphasize the issue despite significant consensus. We must learn from the mistakes of the past. We're now open to listening to other proposals, but let's hurry.
Funding for construction sites in Rome
"We," Bordoni explained, "will present ourselves to the voters with our homework done. The center-right and the League in government have demonstrated their love for the city with the funds for the Gibuleo, the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (NRRP), and other instruments such as the reform of Rome Capital. I'm also thinking of the work done on the subway system and that done by Anas. Many municipal construction sites have yet to begin, while those carried out by the ministry and Anas are all finished, from Piazza Pia to the Tor Vergata bridge. Finally, I'm thinking of the €200 million spent on road resurfacing.
In short, the government has worked well for the city. We must therefore continue and communicate what we have achieved. The mayor has been very good at publicizing the government's initiatives, despite the spirit of collaboration that still exists. Finally, we need to work to strengthen services and the administrative system, and to ensure local security, both with law enforcement and with the municipal police.
Construction sites for transport projects in Lazio
"In our region, there are projects that have been stalled for years," Bordoni said, speaking this time about regional projects. "Tomorrow (today, ed.) we will be in Latina to present the new Cisterna-Valmotone. Expropriations and construction are starting thanks to the special commissioner, while last week we were in Rieti where we unblocked the new Salaria. Salvini has done a great job in this because he has unblocked many sluggish situations, including the Pigneto interchange. And there's also the issue of the Frosinone high-speed station."
The development of Fiumicino
"Developing the airport means developing the city and the region," Bordoni concluded in response to a question. "We are absolutely in favor of a fourth runway at Fiumicino, and indeed we must work to ensure the airport can accommodate an ever-increasing number of people. Today, we employ between 50 and 55 million people.
With the fourth runway, it will reach 100. Regarding Ostia, I want to point out that the Region has provided significant funding to redevelop the waterfront area. This could be an opportunity for revitalization. But there's also a dramatic problem: if there are abandoned establishments and concessions that are only renewed for a year, the tourism offering becomes dramatically affected, and people go elsewhere. We must avoid having 30 or 40 abandoned establishments."
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