but what sense does a summit like this have today?
We know by whom this type of conferences attended as a protagonist or as an insider, that international summits between leaders are of great importance. Not so much because epochal decisions will be made here, indeed the bombastic announcements are usually denied by the final declarations always below expectations, but because a network of relationships, including personal ones, is woven between staff and heads of government, fundamental for dialogue and capacity operating.
So no, it is not true that an international summit like the G20 that will take place in Rome from today is the same as doing it by teleconference rather than in person. However, it remains to be asked whether even today, after years and years of world summits, it is really necessary to take an entire city hostage and deploy 10,000 men for security. Even the prefect of Rome has chosen to close from 16.00 today “schools of all levels”, with early departures today and high schools closed tomorrow. Twelve metro stops are closed. The entire Eur district, where the closed summit takes place, and other areas two red zones have been set up in the historic center and in Parioli, where the leaders are staying, and to guarantee custom dinners and photos.
Rome is used as well as the background of a postcard for the G20, at the cost of exceptional militarization and inconvenience to citizens for three days. One that, today, cannot seem anachronistic and, without the need for populist tirades, it can only anger citizens to live increasingly disconnected from politics, as, among other things, the Roman administrations teach. Was it possible that it was not possible to build a less expensive summit, less impacting on people, perhaps by choosing less central locations and less luxurious or in any case more decentralized accommodation?
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Obviously not, obviously the great international summits to be events in which form and content tend to come together, where image is more important than substance. Then an invitation to our local politicians and to many media: at least stop complaining about the “inconvenience” caused by the sacrosanct strikes of male and female workers, or by the demonstrations. If the great of the earth can block the traffic it is not clear why all the others will take more and more to see themselves restricted the right to demonstrate in the center, or be forced to endless negotiations with the police headquarters on obliged and authorizations.
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