So much hectic has not flickered over Rome for a long time, not for at least two years. The five-star hotels in the city are making sales again, the top Italian chefs are passed around, and they too are delighted. It is the G20 summit, and although not all of the world’s powerful have come in person, it’s the first really big meeting of heads of state and government in attendance since the outbreak of the pandemic. And they all came with stately delegations.
At first, there was a lot to talk about: China’s head of state Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin stayed at home, which weakens the group on key points on the agenda. But Joe Biden is in town. For the US president, they cordoned off the entire Parioli district, wiped away leaves and towed away all wrongly parked cars within a few kilometers of the American ambassador’s residence.
The venue is EUR, an outdated symbol of fascism
All high-ranking guests live in the old center of Rome, but the meetings of the summit take place a bit outside: in the EUR – this is the name of a modernist district on the way to the sea, accessible via the multi-lane Via Cristoforo Colombo. EUR is the acronym for Esposizione Universale di Roma. The world expo, for which the quarter was to be built, was planned for 1942 and was to celebrate in the mind of Benito Mussolini his own cranky greatness and that of his fascist regime. With bombastic architecture, in the style of Italian rationalism, with references to the times of ancient Rome.
The Second World War stopped the plan, but no sooner was the war over and fascism defeated than it was finished. It has long since fitted into the cityscape. Architecture students from everywhere come by to see the Palazzo dei Congressi, the Colosseo quadrato and to study and marvel at the Palazzo delle Fontane.
For the Washington Post but it is unheard of that the Italians would have chosen this “symbol of fascism” for the end of their regular G-20 presidency. On a bas-relief you can see Mussolini on horseback. the Washington Post thinks that does not work, any more than certain equestrian statues were allowed in the USA, which were then abolished by the Cancel Culture.
Italians are generally very relaxed about the legacy of their dictator. In this case, the choice of location was primarily due to security: the EUR with its geometric lines is much easier to protect than it would have been a venue in the winding center. 10,000 police officers have been mobilized for the big event. They absolutely want to prevent scenes like the bloody G8 summit in Genoa 20 years ago from occurring. There will also be counter rallies this time, but they will take place far away from the high-security zone.
The summit itself meets in “La Nuvola”, a new congress building with a daring construction inside, a supposedly free-floating auditorium in the shape of a cloud, designed by the famous architect Massimiliano Fuksas. If you wanted to take the name as an omen: The two most important summit goals are still in the clouds, they are about climate protection and fighting pandemics.
Ramp for Glasgow – or more of a hurdle?
Before COP26, the climate conference, which will begin on Sunday evening in Glasgow, the leaders of the largest economic powers, which together are responsible for more than 80 percent of greenhouse gases, should send out the strongest possible signal in the fight against global warming. If the organizers have their way, Rome should serve as a ramp for Glasgow, or as the start of a successful relay. To do this, however, one would have to be able to agree on a clear commitment to climate neutrality, for example. The Europeans, for example, would love 2050; But China, which stands for a quarter of global CO2 emissions, is more likely to think about 2060.
A compromise could be the vague phrase “middle of the century”. But “vague” is not good in this context. The United Nations warned that, given the current rate of global warming, it would be impossible to achieve the goal of limiting it to 1.5 degrees by the end of the century. At the moment the world is heading towards plus 2.7 degrees. It is also uncertain whether the richest states will find a consensus to give developing countries 100 billion euros every year so that they can afford to switch to more climate-friendly industries.
Noble vaccination promises, but far behind schedule
Even in the multilateral fight against the pandemic, one is far from one’s own ambitions. The other day, at the World Health Summit, rich countries and the pharmaceutical industry had promised that they would help poorer countries by delivering nearly two billion doses of vaccine. So, as it was now called after the pre-summit of finance and health ministers, around 70 percent of the world’s population would be vaccinated by mid-2022. So far, however, only around 17 percent of the cans have been delivered. In Rome one now wants to decide on structures that could help the world in the fight against new pandemics in the future. It should also be ensured that developing countries can produce vaccines locally. But these are still just plans.
And so it could be that at the end of the Roman G-20 summit, only one breakthrough can be achieved, one that has already been decided and known: 15 percent minimum tax for large companies. The leading companies from the network economy should finally have to pay taxes on their gigantic profits. So that there is a little more justice in the world.