Rome Mayor Roberto Gualtieri declared that cleaning the capital had seemed “an impossible task” upon his election, with the city “submerged in garbage.” While acknowledging targets remain unmet, he emphasized visible improvements: “Achieving excellence requires five years, but everyone recognizes – and I witness it daily – that conditions have improved,” Gualtieri stated during an interview with Radio Uno’s *L’Italia in diretta*.
He highlighted the modernization of municipal waste company AMA, citing a “radical decline” in resident complaints – down nearly 25% in the last half-year. “Once all facilities are operational, including the waste-to-energy plant and biodigesters, we’ll end the disgrace of Rome being Europe’s only major capital without treatment plants, forced to export trash abroad,” Gualtieri asserted. “Converting waste into resources will free up funds for further cleanup investments.”
Regarding ambitions to make the Tiber River swimmable, the mayor confirmed this “goal for the next council term.” He contrasted Rome’s situation favorably with the Seine’s pollution levels but noted Paris benefited from Olympic funding that Rome “unfortunately refused.” Gualtieri outlined steps including a technical commission, scientific collaboration, and deploying metropolitan police to monitor pollution sources in the Aniene tributary to “reduce contamination and achieve the dream of a swimmable Tiber.”
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