He's ready to go again. With the spirit of when, in 2011, he prevailed in the centre-left primaries over Antonello Cabras and in the municipal elections over Massimo Fantola. He, who was 35 years old at the time, supported by an army of young supporters, imposed himself on two icons of Sardinian politics. Now, at 48, he is back for the third time: «We will reopen the amphitheater for shows», says Zedda. «We will ensure that it becomes a monument open to the public and tourists. The archaeological park of Tuvixeddu will certainly be the same."

At what point of the journey is he left?

«Regardless of the institutional roles held in these five years outside Palazzo Bacaredda, I have never stopped listening to Cagliari».

How does he find her?

«I believe from the bottom of my heart that I live in a magnificent city. Of course, in the last five years something has not been done in a workmanlike manner."

In 2011 he won with the slogan “Now it's our turn”. What could it be today?

«Cagliari goes further. Beyond divisions and fences. It is not the capital of the Mediterranean, but it looks to the Mediterranean countries as places of dialogue. Our greatest goal is to make people understand that the city belongs to everyone. It's not the mayor's. We are open to sharing and listening to those who feel abandoned by the administration, the elderly and lonely people who claim the right to health and social services."

Let's talk about construction sites.

«Too many, all together. The city, from the point of view of traffic, has become flooded."

How will he fix it if he becomes mayor again?

«On Via Roma there is a project that can only be partially modified. We will speed up the completion of the works. We will also do the same on Via Dante, on Viale Trieste, on Sant'Avendrace: construction sites cannot be eternal."

Speaking of the plan for via Roma…

«A project was carried out without involving the Port Authority. It's time to reconnect. And then, for such an impactful intervention, a traffic study is needed."

You were criticized for having closed Via Roma for a month in the height of summer.

«It was an experimental project, in anticipation of interventions on the road network. But here, now, the city has been blocked for a year."

The first thing he will do as mayor.

"I've already done it, as a candidate."

What has he already done?

«On Friday I met the governor Alessandra Todde for three hours to discuss strategic planning, ports, connections, taking stock of what the Region can do for the city and vice versa. Starting with the reopening of institutional relations, which have not been particularly prosperous lately, up to the more immediate issues."

Which?

«I am referring, for example, to the issue of parking. The president showed herself willing to open the Region's car parks to the public which, especially on weekends, are unused. More generally, we want to create car parks close to the centre: I think they could be created in Viale Colombo and beyond."

Cycle paths.

«We need to get back into it. Some were done without rhyme or reason."

Will the stadium affair be closed?

«We have to make up for lost time. I know that we left everything ready to start work in 2021. Now we need to speed up: the same applies to the sports hall."

How is the Cagliari you dream of?

«It is a city that looks to development, that attracts young people, that promotes new economic ventures, that strengthens the entrepreneurial fabric and that bases its development on social issues. We must eliminate every bureaucratic obstacle that limits development."

The line on strategic works?

«We are aiming for the greatest possible involvement of both Cagliari society and the economic-productive fabric for projects, idea competitions and tenders. Every professional, even Sardinian, which has been prevented in recent years, must be able to express their ideas and present their development projects relating to things and places. When we built the Poetto, in addition to beating the European average for the time between tender and delivery, I remember that from design to work everything was carried out by Sardinian professionals and companies. Now we want our seafront to end with a beautiful beach in Sant'Elia, where there is natural sand. But also completing the marina."

Can tourism grow?

«Cagliari is acquiring the right mentality. Now he has to get used to big international events: I'm thinking of conferences, as well as concerts. It was already the desire of the president of Cagliari to create a stadium with various multipurpose functions, including entertainment events. Of course, just the stadium is not enough, but it is necessary to have a series of places and realities that can allow large events that are different from each other, also in terms of number of participants".

What are you talking about?

«The Fair needs to be rethought and we need to open the places that have been closed in the past. I am talking about the Vetreria di Pirri theatre, the Civic Theater of Castello and, as I have already said, the Roman Amphitheatre, which can also be returned to the public as a place of entertainment with the authorizations of the bodies that protect monuments and archaeological sites".

When you talk about Cagliari as a green city, aren't you just referring to the parks?

«There are studies according to which, by exploiting photovoltaics in warehouses and areas that are not necessarily abandoned, the energy bill can be reduced. We will start from the most popular districts, where the need is most felt."

But she's not the only one.

«In Sant'Elia, as in Is Mirrionis, via Castelli, San Michele and Santa Teresa, we focus on training. And we will bring the most beautiful kindergartens and primary and first grade schools in Cagliari there. Giovanni Berlinguer argued that a low level of education coincided with high healthcare costs. We will create health homes with pediatricians and general practitioners."

Are you for the expansion of the airport?

«If we aim for the growth of tourism it is essential. The airport was conceived in 1990 for 5 million people. We must go further."

There is controversy over the urban planning of some peripheral areas.

«Regardless, we will propose that the planning be metropolitan. It is not possible that Cagliari thinks in one way and, on its borders, other administrations plan differently. We need more institutional dialogue."

His opponents for now are Alessandra Zedda and Giuseppe Farris.

"The city belongs to everyone, therefore also to the opposition."

Lorenzo Piras

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