Lisbon’s mayor admitted on Thursday that he was concerned about the cost of World Youth Day (WYD), but assured he will spend no more than the €35 million he has pledged to invest.
“When I arrived [à Câmara de Lisboa], my concern was to limit costs. I was the one who said that the Lisbon Chamber would not spend more than EUR 35 million,” said Carlos Moedas (PSD).
The mayor spoke to journalists on the sidelines of the evocative ceremony on the occasion of the International Day of Remembrance of the Holocaust, at the Capitólio in Lisbon.
Asked about the controversy over the cost of the stage altar (more than four million euros) where the pope will celebrate the final mass, Carlos Moedas said he is available to assess projects and costs and that he will “understand the will of the president of the Republic and the Church”.
“I accept, I do and I help,” the mayor assured.
The mayor of Lisbon devalued the controversy that arose with the cost of the altar stage, saying it is necessary to have a “sense of perspective”, illustrating that the government will spend about eight million euros “on bathrooms and screens” .
“If it’s four million, if it’s three million, if it’s five million, the mayor has committed it won’t cost more than $35 million,” he stressed.
The mayor also criticized the statements of the WYD project group coordinator, José Sá Fernandes, who told Lusa today that he was surprised by the estimated value for the podium altar’s construction, and assured that there were “cheaper” solutions.
“I think this gentleman is ignorant and out of touch with reality. I don’t know anything about this project and I’m not going to get into controversy, but I think it’s very sad when someone responsible comes to present wrong numbers.”, he said.
The mayor of Lisbon reminded several times that there are still 186 days left before the start of WYD and defended that it is important to work to get everything ready on time.
“What I promise the people of Lisbon is that everything will be ready on that day, but they have to give me the conditions to do it. We are going to have a stage where more than 190 countries will watch Portugal. We are going to to be the center of the world. At that time, Lisbon will be the center of the world. And that has enormous value,” he stressed.
The mayor maintained the idea that WYD is an investment and illustrated this with the Spanish case, which invested 60 million euros in the event and generated a return of 350 million.
Carlos Moedas also told journalists that he is “very proud” to organize this “unique and extraordinary” event, which will also transform the area north of Parque das Nações and the Trancão River.
Ultimately, Carlos Moedas took on all the responsibilities of organizing WYD.
“I give my body to the bullets. I am here with the courage to accept what is a unique event for Lisbon. We will not have another one of this dimension,” he insisted.
World Youth Day, considered the largest event of the Catholic Church, will take place this year in Lisbon, between August 1 and August 6, and is expected to attract around 1.5 million people.
The main ceremonies of the day will take place in Parque Tejo, north of Parque das Nações, on the banks of the Tagus, on land in the municipalities of Lisbon and Loures.
The days were born on the initiative of Pope John Paul II, after the success of the meeting promoted in Rome in 1985, in the International Year of Youth.
Source: DN
