Premier Matteo Renzi on Tuesday
expressed his "surprise" at negative reactions to his
announcement that Italy will stage a bid to host the 2024 summer
Olympics centred on Rome, saying fear of corruption should not
be allowed to spoil the dream.
"The reaction is surprising," Renzi told the Lower House of
parliament.
"Everyone is saying that it is impossible to stage the
Olympics in Italy because there are people who steal," he
continued.
"But if those that steal are sent to prison it is possible
to move forwards," the premier argued.
On Monday, Northern League leader Matteo Salvini criticised
Renzi for "living on another planet" in relation to the
announced bid, which comes amid a big mafia probe in the capital
and a graft scandal involving contracts for Milan Expo 2015.
And on Tuesday Salvini returned to the subject, calling on
the state "first to resolve corruption, then to organise
sporting events".
However, the premier told parliament that the Olympics are
"a dream that must be strong, tenacious, of high quality - but
to say that they can't be hosted because some people are not up
to scratch is to frustrate citizens' desires".
Italy's anti-corruption chief Raffaele Cantone on Tuesday
expressed a similar view.
"It is one thing to pass up an opportunity because it is
deemed impossible to make the necessary investment, another out
of fear of corruption: this cannot be an alibi," Cantone said.
Rome's bid to host the 2020 Olympics was dropped in
February 2012 by then-premier Mario Monti on grounds that
Italy could not afford such an expensive venture due to its
economic situation.
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