Giving In to Vocal Foes, Italy Kills Bid for Venice World Fair

Surrendering to an angry opposition that ranged from international environmentalists and art lovers to hometown politicians and gondoliers, the Italian government Tuesday formally withdrew Venice’s candidacy as site of a world’s fair in the year 2000.

The last-minute decision was a major defeat for Italian Prime Minister Giulio Andreotti and Foreign Minister Gianni De Michelis, a persuasive and ambitious Venetian who had spearheaded the campaign for Expo 2000 in Venice and almost single-handedly engineered initial government backing for it.

Withdrawal of the candidacy brought applause Tuesday across the Italian political spectrum, from Communists to Social Democrats to neo-fascists.

“It’s a victory of reason over speculation,” said Gianni Tamino, a Green leader.

“A senseless plan has failed, and thus Venice can breathe a sigh of relief,” said Carlo Ripa di Meana, the Italian who is the European Community’s environmental commissioner, and a member of De Michelis’ Socialist Party.

Vocal international and domestic opposition to Venice’s candidacy, which climaxed this week with a revolt in the Italian Parliament, focused on concern for the environmental health of the delicate, tourist-besieged lagoon city that is universally regarded as a priceless landmark of world heritage.

Amid a relentless onslaught of day-trippers, 1,200-year-old Venice is being abandoned by the Venetians. Since World War II, the population has dropped by about two-thirds to a current 80,000.

De Michelis and supporters of Expo 2000 contended that the exhibition would reinvigorate the city. The number of visitors could be controlled, they argued.

Venice’s withdrawal leaves Toronto and Hanover, West Germany, as contestants for the fair.