The President of the Senate in the opening words of his speech in Prague: “Today we testify to the absolute value of the Resistance in restoring democracy to Italy”
“Yesterday Italy was represented here in Prague by my colleague President of the Chamber Lorenzo Fontana. Today I am here as President of the Senate. We took turns because as you know, today April 25thfor Italy it is a very important day: it is the day in which the Liberation from the Nazi occupation in the Second World War and the defeat of fascism are remembered. Together with the President of the Republic Sergio Mattarella and the High Offices of the State this morning I solemnly testified at the Altare della Patria the commitment and sacrifice for freedom and independence as well as the absolute value of the Resistance in overcoming the dictatorship and in restoring democracy to Italy. The theme of this Conference – which today deals with totalitarianisms – goes precisely in this direction”. ‘EU.
For Russia”the ability to counter any form of totalitarian regime can come from the implementation of courageous policies, from the ability to carry out real peace processes and bearing witness to the aberrations of all totalitarian regimes. Just as the European Parliament itself did just a few years ago by approving an important resolution on all the totalitarianisms of the last century. Today, taking advantage of my presence here in Prague, I wanted to add two important appointments to my agenda and which are linked to the theme of this Conference: I will therefore pay homage to the many victims of Nazi ferocity by going to Terezin and I have already been to the monument dedicated to Jan Palach, as I always did every time I came to Prague. And I did it again this time because I certainly could not disrespect your story. It was and is important in this significant and prestigious forum to convey a very clear message: the national and European institutions must work and are working to ensure independence and freedom for their peoples”.
“A freedom and an independence – underlined the second office of the State – that ranges in many fields. The “New industrial strategy” launched in 2020 and updated in 2021 also moves in this direction. The “REPowerEU Plan” goes in the same direction ” of 2022 on energy autonomy, and the Conclusions of the European Council of the second half of March. And equally important is the Defense side which, together with an even stronger line of foreign policy, appears increasingly essential to give the Union a growing weight and influence on the global scene. It will be necessary to devote effort and energy to implementing the “Strategic Compass” adopted by the European Council in March 2022 because, I repeat, only an aware and strong European Union, together with its Allies, can be credible and authoritative protagonist on the international scene”.
La Russa then returns “to the theme of dictatorial regimes, recalling the greatest atrocity of the past century: the Holocaust. To prevent the specter of illiberal regimes from once again limiting our freedoms, first of all there must be full collaboration and respect between States, starting with respect for national borders. In this sense, tomorrow I will have the pleasure of hosting the Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal in Rome to whom I will renew my personal solidarity and closeness and that of the Italians. The Ukrainian people are not alone in their fight against Russia for independence and territorial integrity. Finally, I make my own the words that Senator Liliana Segre pronounced in the European Parliament on Remembrance Day: ‘There was a little girl in Terezin, whose name I don’t remember , who drew a yellow butterfly that flies over the barbed wires. May the yellow butterfly always fly over the barbed wires,” said the president of the Senate.
Source-www.adnkronos.com