For the candidate countries, organizing this event would make it possible to gain prestige on the international scene, and even to shape a new image. What justify an intense campaign of influence, especially with Paris.
A ballet of leaders in Paris. In the space of a few days, the French capital notably received the visit of Saudi Prince Mohammed bin Salman, South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol and Italian Council President Giorgia Meloni. – his first official trip to France. The purpose of their visit: to support the candidacy of cities from their countries for the 2030 edition of the Universal Exhibition, while a general assembly of the office in charge of this event is being held in Paris on Tuesday 20 and Wednesday 21 June.
During his stay in France, the sulphurous Saudi prince “MBS” ensured the support of France in this battle which must still last five months. An affront to Italy, which hoped for a gesture from its neighbor in order to win Rome, and thus relaunch, in the long term, a moribund economy. Whether it’s a strategy of influence or economic hopes, the battle for the Universal Exhibition of 2030 crystallizes in any case the passions and mobilizes at the highest level. Franceinfo summarizes the stakes of this international race.
A very popular event
Launched more than one hundred and seventy years ago, the cycle of universal exhibitions went through a low period in the 20th century before gaining in intensity in the early 2000s. The event even returned to the rhythm of its beginnings and now sees a new edition organized every five years. After Milan (Italy) in 2015 and Dubai (United Arab Emirates) in the fall of 2021 (scheduled for 2020 but postponed for a year due to the Covid-19 pandemic), it is in Osaka (Japan) that the next Universal Exhibition will take place in 2025.
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“If Western countries seem less interested in this event, it is far from trivial for less developed countries”, explains to franceinfo Matthieu Anquez, specialist in influence strategies and president of the firm Arès. In two centuries, the Universal Exhibition changed a lot: “From the end of the 19th century to the middle of the 20th century, it was closely linked to the European colonial empires, it was a showcase of powerrewinds the specialist in geopolitics. And that, the emerging countries have not forgotten!”
If it is now courted by countries like Turkey for the 2015 edition, or Brazil for that of 2020, it is because this event brings “a certain prestige” to the nation that organizes it, believes Matthieu Anquez. “It’s a way of asserting oneself, of showing that this is where innovations take place, on the fringes of purely military or economic power”he explains.
Significant economic benefits
Cities around the world are rushing to hold their own World Expo because “the game is worth the candle”continues Matthieu Anquez. “Of course, it is expensive, but it attracts large flows of people and capital”, he notes. On its website, the International Exhibitions Bureau (BIE), in charge of appointing the organizers of each edition, promises significant economic benefits. These “mega-events” indeed welcome “tens of millions of visitors” And “allow countries to build extraordinary pavilions and transform the host city”, ensures the BIE.
In 2015, the Milan exhibition saw 20 million visitors pass by, as reported by Euronews. Six years later, and while the Covid-19 crisis was far from over, that of Dubai had recorded more than 24 million visits according to its organizers. Especially since once the public has left, the infrastructure remains. “More and more facilities are intended to be sustainable”, emphasizes Matthieu Anquez. Gone are the days of short-lived small towns, whose buildings were often destroyed at the end of the festivities. The sustainability of the project and the “post-Expo uses” are also part of the criteria examined by the BIE in its choice of host cities.
An economic boost is precisely what South Korea and especially Italy are looking for, with the candidacy of Rome. “It will be an extraordinary opportunity for the city and the country in the name of sustainability, cohesion and regeneration”, launched its mayor, Roberto Gualtieri, quoted by the Roma Today site. The Italian authorities thus hope to revitalize the area of Tor Vergata, south-east of Rome, and build the largest park of photovoltaic panels in the world, reports RFI. The promoters of this project also aim to generate 31.5 million visits, with spin-offs estimated at 50 billion euros.
On Tuesday, the BIE formalized the final list of candidate cities: Busan (South Korea), Rome and Riyadh (Saudi Arabia). Supported by the European institutions, Italy will not however be able to count on France during the vote, which will be organized in November on the principle “one State, one vote”. Politically distant, divided on the question of immigration to Europe, Emmanuel Macron and the far-right leader Giorgia Meloni have maintained relations that have been strained to say the least in recent months. The French president had in any case decided in the summer of 2022 in a press release from the Elysée, i.e. before the arrival of Giorgia Meloni in power, to support the file of Saudi Arabia, one of his privileged suppliers. of oil and loyal customer of France in terms of arms sales, as explained by France Culture in 2022.
An important “shot to play” for Saudi Arabia
By applying for Expo 2030, Riyadh is playing a new card in its strategy of influence. And hopes to gain a lot in terms of image. Far from recovering from the case jamal khashoggi, this Saudi journalist murdered and dismembered in 2018 in the Saudi Arabian consulate in Istanbul (Turkey), Prince Mohammed bin Salman is still widely criticized on the international scene. The poor human rights situation in his country, the limited place of women in Saudi society and the role played in the bloody war in Yemen do not plead in favor of Saudi Arabia, which is betting on the major events of this guy to restore his image.
“You could say that MBS is a candidate for everything: not only for the World Expo, but also for the World Cup in the same year, in 2030, perhaps also for the Olympic Games afterwards”explains to franceinfo Pascal Boniface, Director of the Institute of International and Strategic Relations (Iris). “He will engage in clientelism, give an image of a modernizer of Saudi Arabia. And also of someone who has a lot of cash and who can distribute a lot: it’s a way of buying influence.”
This strategy, already employed by Qatar with the organization of the 2022 Football World Cup, had not however prevented the gas emirate from being singled out by critics. “It’s not infallible, but Saudi Arabia has a shot to play, believes Matthieu Anquez, by showing that it can organize a major event like Qatar, but by treating its foreign workers better in particular.” The specialist, however, calls for “human rights watch”which could take a back seat in this race for the Universal Exhibition, “subject to intense negotiations and far from being spared the risk of bribes”he warns.