Rome - With just one month to go before the official opening of Expo 2015 in Milan, security has become a major issue, with rising concerns over the high spending and the real necessity for an array of military, intelligence and police forces.

 It would appear that the technical issues, the several delays, the corruption probe as well as many unfulfilled promises were not enough for Expo 2015. Alarms following the recent terrorist attacks and several social strikes, which are expected in Milan at the beginning of May, are forcing Expo’s security committee to lock down the site, in a move which is perhaps more a managerial catastrophe than a pre-emptive measure.

 What are Expo’s security measures going to entail? According to La Stampa, there will be 500 cameras in the site together with 2000 cameras split between Milan and several underground lines. All of the footage will be connected and monitored from one main building under the supervision of Ottorino Panariello, - a former Telecom manager – the General Security Director. The partners involved in this operation are Cisco, Telecom, Samsung, All System and many others.

 Three metre high walls will enclose Expo’s overall site with the four main entrances available to the public comprising 162 turnstiles and 108 x-ray machines with anti-explosive detection. Likewise, until October 2015, 1300 police officers, 700 Carabinieri and 600 soldiers will be deployed around the clock. In addition to that, there will be ‘passive monitoring’, through the use of drones but also for each of the 84 areas of Expo’s site, there will be a fixed number of security guards (approximately 750 in total).

 “Expo 2015 is a great challenge for Italy also in terms of security " commented Interior Minister Angelino Alfano. “We have given very important guidelines against corruption and mafia infiltration” added Alfano, underlining the fact that Italy must use Expo to prove it can be a reliable player on the global stage.

 Many would argue that this comes at what cost? According to sources, Expo’s security budget will amount to 7.2 million euros. This shows that Italy will be forced to pay dearly for its credibility.