Roberto Dipiazza

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Roberto Dipiazza (born February 1, 1953 in Aiello del Friuli, Province of Udine) is an Italian entrepreneur and politician, mayor of Muggia (in the Province of Trieste) in 1996-2001, and since 2001, mayor of Trieste.

[edit] Career

His working career started as a large scale retail manager before setting up his own business enterprise in Trieste's province.

His political debut happened in 1996 when he was elected mayor of Muggia as the leader of a centre-right coalition. His administration claimed to have renovated the old town and to have revived tourism thanks mainly to the new “Porto S. Rocco”, considered one of the most highly rated yacht clubs in the northern Adriatic Sea, built with international entrepreneurs’ support.

He claimed also to have succeeded in improving cross border relations between Italy and Slovenia thanks to the setting up of new business relations between Italian and Slovene multi-utility (gas, water, electricity) companies.

In 2000 he was named “commendatore” (an official title awarded for services given to the Republic of Italy) by the former President Carlo Azeglio Ciampi.

In 2001 he was elected mayor of Trieste with the support of a centre right coalition.

His political program focused on a new role for the city of Trieste linked to the eastern expansion of the European Union, the trade development of the port, the reorganization of the so called “porto vecchio”, and the strengthening of the links between the city and its international institutes of advanced studies and applied research.

During his mandate the merger between “Acegas” (Trieste) and “Aps” (Padua) created the biggest multi-utility listed in the stock exchange in the north east of Italy.

In 2004 the Italian financial newspaper “Il Sole 24 Ore” rated Trieste as the best city in Italy for urban quality of life and services.

He also supported sports activities and became president of the second division basketball team “Pallacanestro Trieste 2004”.

The same year saw him named “grande ufficiale” (another official title awarded for services given to the Republic of Italy) by the former President of the Republic Carlo Azeglio Ciampi.

In 2006 he was elected, for a second term, mayor of Trieste.

His program for the second term supported the vision of a city becoming the “capital” of the Adriatic region: a city able to offer qualified services and founding its economical revival on trading and on increased port activities, its age-old tradition.

His administration claims to have started a “renaissance” of the city, fuelled by new initiatives in scientific research and by the policy of making Trieste an exclusive centre for tourists, both from Italy and from central eastern Europe countries. The increase of holiday cruisers calling in Trieste, a result actually achieved by the "Autorità portuale" (an apolitical port-related institution), and the newly reconversion of the old fish market building into an important contemporary art gallery are seen by his supporters as important steps in this direction. The goal to reduce the “ICI” (a local tax on Real estate) is a Dipiazza’s priority which implies a strict intervention on public expenses without touching the running of the municipality’s administrative structure and services, and it is a matter of debate in the city whether the services were really not touched.

As mayor of Trieste he is also in charge as president of the city lyric theatre "Giuseppe Verdi".