2027 Municipal Elections, Lepore's Balance for the Encore: "Three Years of Sacrifice, but Like Bologna We Will Win the Cup"

Bologna, May 21, 2025 - Matteo Lepore ( video ) launches the electoral campaign for the encore. And he does so with a maxi-budget of three years of mandate, looking to the horizon 2027, when we will go back to vote for the Municipal elections.

Mayor Matteo Lepore has outlined the three-year budget and launched the 2027 electoral campaign

At the center, needless to say, the theme of infrastructure, with the tram the blessing and curse of his first term. So much so that "in a few weeks the prototype of the new red and gold tram will be exhibited next to the old vehicle from the last century", announces the mayor, recalling that, from September, visits for school children will also be organized.

“After many years of sacrifices, Bologna Calcio has won the Coppa Italia . Our city will do the same: after the sacrifices for the construction sites, it will also win its own cup”, says Lepore confidently, confirming that the big celebration for the rossoblù successes will be on Sunday. Then he jokes: “Me as an Italian? I’m staying, he hasn’t said it yet...”.

With the council (almost fully deployed), Lepore tells the story of the city through 25 symbolic places before and after the works. It is no coincidence that he chooses as a symbolic location to convey the message of what has been done, Filla, the new work by architect Mario Cucinella in Montagnola: "In these three years we have done works that in previous administrations took at least a term and a half, two terms. In addition to the two tram lines that we will complete by June 2026, we have started a plan for housing, for schools, created new public spaces, started the urban regeneration of areas that have been abandoned for years, opened community houses", Lepore details.

And to give a clear image of the balance of these three years, the administration has put online the site that tells the many transformations of the city: the Modernissimo cinema, Piazza Lucio Dalla, the tram tracks in Via Ugo Bassi, the cycle paths linked to Città 30 and other small and large interventions.

Beyond the good intentions, he reassures citizens exhausted by the tram construction sites: "We are on schedule and we will be able to return the streets to the citizens by summer 2026. We have to finish by June" . A sore point is the stalemate of the Passante that risks stopping the tram in San Donnino, given that the two works intersect near the bridge. Lepore, however, throws the ball into the government's court, confirming the pressure on the executive "so that the Pilastro also has its stop". But it is clear that by 2026, if the widening of the ring road and highways does not move from lot zero, it will be (almost) a mission impossible.

Good news, however, on the Ponte Lungo: “This year we will finish the work ”, while in 2028, as anticipated, “we will finish the work on the Garisenda, earlier than expected. We are able to respect the commitments we make”, assured Lepore, explaining that the mandate objective is “the revolution of public transport” in Bologna, which makes the service more usable. “It is an objective that the administration has had for over 40 years - says the mayor - and in this mandate it is possible, there is only one year left until the end of the construction sites”.

On the discontent of the citizens, mostly related to the inconvenience of the construction sites and the city paralyzed at certain times, he takes it philosophically: "I take some 'names', but mostly on social media. In person they ask me for opinions and information", says Lepore. In any case, to arrive prepared, two years before the 2027 elections he relaunches the meetings with the citizens in six Neighborhood councils , the first tomorrow, at 6:30 pm at the Baraccano, home of Santo Stefano.

"We want to listen and work. We could undo and redo what had been planned in previous mandates, but we chose to move forward , modifying projects in progress, taking on our responsibilities. Disappointments in these three years? Mainly from the government that has cut resources to local authorities, such as the road maintenance fund".