In this time of crisis, especially in the last couple of years during the Covid pandemic, everyone is looking for stability. Mayor Roberto Dipiazza has been an important political figure in the province of Trieste, which was proved by his election for a third term as mayor of the city. Born in a small village Aiello del Friuli in 1953, Dipiazza’s primary focus from early age was on business. He started his career as a large scale retail manager. This enabled him to establish his own company. His successes in business prompted him to establish numerous shops and similar facilities around the province, which was a great basis for his later development in politics. As an established entrepreneur, he rose quickly through political ranks, achieving his first great success in 1996. That year, after his coalition won municipal elections in Muggia, he was named mayor of the city. First actions he did after becoming mayor was renewal of the Muggia Oldtown. His plan was to revive tourism in the city and combat unemployment. Additionally, he supported establishment of yacht club, called “Porto S. Rocco”, which later became one of the highest rating clubs in the region. These projects were not only funded through public funds, but also gained support from international entrepreneurs, mainly because of contacts made by mayor Dipiazza. Because of his entrepreneurship background, mayor of Trieste managed to ease tension and improve regional cooperation between Italy and Slovenia. This was done through the establishment of multi-utility companies for gas, water and electricity, which were highly supported by mayor Dipiazza. For his successes as both mayor and international entrepreneur, Roberto Dipiazza received the title “Commendatore” in 2000.. This is one of the honors given to citizens for extraordinary services by the Republic of Italy. The President of Italy at the time, Carlo Azeglio Ciampi, gave this honor to Roberto Dipiazza himself. In the next year, Roberto Dipiazza won municipal elections and became mayor of Trieste. His first goal as mayor was to start reorganization of the port, which is the economic heart of the city. This was done through redevelopment of “porto vecchio” and enhancing the links between international institutes of advanced studies and applied research. The result was visible and acknowledged by financial newspapers “Il Sole 24 Ore” in 2004, when the city was rated as the best city in Italy for urban quality of life and services. Soon after, Roberto Dipiazza was rewarded with a second title, called “Grande ufficiale” in the same year. During his second term as mayor of Trieste, Roberto Dipiazza focused on further development of the city. His desire was to establish Trieste as the primary center for tourism and research. This was done through joint effort from mayor Dipiazza and apolitical organization Autorità portuale. Mayor Dipiazza converted the old fishing market into a contemporary art gallery, while Autorità portuale promoted the city, which in the end attracted a lot of holiday cruisers. After his two consecutive terms as mayor of Trieste, Roberto Dipiazza turned to regional politics for a few years. In 2016 he ran for his third term for a position of mayor of Trieste, which he won. He continued to expand objectives and goals he established during his first two terms, but with more focus on scientific research and development of the city. His latest talks with UNESCO-TWAS Executive Director present the continuity of his policies and a glimpse of the future of the city. With his work proving beneficial, citizens of Trieste found their figure for stability in mayor Dipiazza. He will certainly continue to expand the city and further improve quality of life for the local residents. (photo credit: wikipedia)