Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1546604
7 gozotoday | FRIDAY • 18 SEPTEMBER 2026 NEWS CONTINUES FROM PAGE 1 "This is about being as open as possible to the things we need to improve, whether that is LG- BTQ+ issues, the elderly, or oth- er parts of our community," he said. The third pillar, courage, was about looking beyond Gozo and being prepared to embrace change even after the Europe- an Capital of Culture process comes to an end. "We need the courage to look outwards, but also the courage to see things changing after the bid is over," Azzopardi said. He stressed that the project could not remain fixed around the idea of 2031 itself. "We also need to stay relevant. We have to be aware that the bid may change, expand, and we have to be okay with change. And it has to be open to everyone." 'A way of showing our Europeaness' Azzopardi said the bid also had a wider European dimension, arguing that Gozo could demon- strate that its geographical iso- lation did not diminish its place within Europe. "Behind the bid is something relevant to our Europeaness," he said. "We can show our Eu- ropeaness, and show that even if there is double insularity, it is still there." He said Victoria could poten- tially serve as a model for other places facing similar challenges, while using the European Cap- ital of Culture process to build relationships and partnerships beyond the island. The Victoria 2031 Foundation was recently welcomed as a full member of Culture Next, a Eu- ropean network of cities linked to the European Capital of Cul- ture programme. The network focuses on culture as a driver for long-term urban development, civic participation, internation- al cooperation and the legacy of European Capital of Culture pro- grammes. Azzopardi said this internation- al engagement was important to ensuring that the project was not simply about winning a title for 2031, but about creating some- thing that could have a longer- term impact. At the centre of the project, however, remained the local com- munity. "Community is at the centre stage," he said, adding that he be- lieved Victoria was in a strong po- sition to deliver the project should it be awarded the title. 'Victoria has a story on every corner' For Azzopardi, the choice of Vic- toria is also deeply personal. Born and raised in the city and having served as its mayor, he said he be- lieved Victoria offered a distinc- tive cultural and historical story. "Why Victoria? As someone who was born and bred in Victo- ria and was the mayor, Victoria has a story on every corner," he said. The city, he noted, has around 7,000 years of history and has served as Gozo's capital from the beginning. He also pointed to the city's re- silience through successive peri- ods of foreign rule and attempts to reshape Malta's urban land- scape. "Even when the Knights tried to change it, as they man- aged to do with Valletta, they did not manage to change Victoria in the same way," Azzopardi said. He described Victoria as unique within the Maltese islands, par- ticularly because much of its built environment and identity was shaped by Gozitans themselves. "It was mostly built by Gozitans, not by the British or the Knights. Gozitans are at the heart of it." Looking beyond 2031 With the final decision due on 23 September, Azzopardi said the bid should ultimately be viewed as a process rather than simply a competition for a title. Written by Laura Calleja At the centre of the Victoria 2031 bid is the local community Fondazzjoni Victoria 2031 chair Samuel Azzopardi