Bologna's Culture Councillor Matteo Lepore Runs for Mayor

Matteo Lepore, Bologna's culture councillor, announced his candidacy for mayor on March 17 via Facebook. Born in Bologna in 1980, he holds degrees in Political Science and multiple master's degrees in International Relations, Building and Urban Planning, and Cooperative Economics. He has been active in local politics since 1999, serving on the Savena district council and as vice-president from 2004 to 2009. A founding member of the Democratic Party, he organized the States General on Culture in Bologna in 2010. From 2011 to 2016, he was councillor for Economy, Tourism, and Digital Agenda, and since February 2017, he has chaired the Metropolitan Tourist Destination Steering Committee. Currently, he oversees Culture, Tourism, Civic Imagination, Sports, Heritage, and Digital Agenda. His platform focuses on work, dialogue with associations and economic entities, and creating a department for ecological transition. He emphasizes a progressive, post-COVID recovery. Lepore previously discussed cultural initiatives like the Nuovo Forno del Pane artist residency at MAMbo and the proposed Museo Morandi at Palazzina Magnani.