It is still too early to gauge a response to the question – posed by the French newspaper Les Échos on the eve of the event – of whether Expo will be able to produce a “Miracle in Milan” capable of lifting Italian economic growth out of the doldrums. Yet, this week, the interspersing of talk of an end to the recession with a spotlight on the focal points of the Universal Expo is already dominating the pages of the international press.
Attracting particular attention were the latest Italian bureau of statistics (ISTAT) figures on GDP growth for the first quarter of 2015, which several financial publications reported with accompanying comments by analysts and investors, confirming their “growing optimism” towards Italy’s outlook.
Naturally, the voices of foreign correspondents did not sing Italy’s unmitigated praises, with several reservations remaining regarding the country’s economic prospects. Even so, perceptions of an improved situation have well in evidence across foreign press broadsheets and websites, beyond their strictly financial pages. Center-stage in all this has been Milan – host city for the Expo but also a showcase of the changes underway in Italy.
A feature in the Financial Times reported how Milan is undergoing a “renaissance”, with executives, bankers and expats giving their views on architectural developments in the city’s new districts (CityLife and Porta Nuova, both beneficiaries of significant foreign investment). This was accompanied by the news of the National Chamber of Italian Fashion’s recovery plan, aimed at taking the industry to a position of “global leadership”. In the eyes of the foreign press, Milan thus presents as a city with hidden qualities that are taking it back into the league of other fashion capitals such as Paris and New York.
Foreign press coverage was not, however, limited to fashion, architecture and culture (the latter once again coming under the spotlight at the Fondazione Prada’s new recently-opened Milan venue), with the obligatory articles on Italian food ever-present. Related reports ranged from features highlighting the culinary delights being showcased at Expo pavilions, through to an article on the Milanese traditional dish of risotto with ossobuco. Some newspapers used the Expo as a pretext for offering readers suggested food and tourist itineraries in other cities and regions of Italy.
Indeed, the sense gained from surveying the pages of the foreign press is that the hosting of this major event in Milan is being seen as an opportunity to focus attention on cities, exhibitions, and attractions across the country. In short, the blessings of any Expo “miracle” should be felt well beyond the confines of Milan.