Italian President Sergio Mattarella and German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, who ended a three-day meeting with a ceremony commemorating a Nazi-fascist massacre, have sent a strong message to the far right.
“Why did this happen? We continue to ask ourselves without finding a definitive answer, only lingering uncertainty. It happened, so it could happen again, as Primo Levi warned us. It can happen if we forget,” stressed Mattarella, recalling the difficult process of rebuilding a continent after the “material and moral devastation” brought about by Nazism and Fascism.
The last day of talks was held in Marzabotto, near Bologna, where the two presidents attended the commemoration of the 80th anniversary of a massacre carried out by Nazi troops under the command of Major Walter Reder, which claimed the lives of 770 civilians between 29 September and 5 October 1944.
In a solemn moment, Steinmeier asked for forgiveness on behalf of Germany and expressed deep concern about the resurgence of far-right movements in his country.
“In my country, we are witnessing a resurgence of nationalist and far-right forces—forces that seek to weaken or undermine democracy, right in my own country. This worries me. But it also strengthens my resolve… Our two countries know that democracy is never guaranteed even after it has been won. We know that freedom and democracy must be protected and defended and that excessive nationalism leads to war,” he said.
Sending a warning to the far right was already a central theme in the early days of Mattarella’s state visit to Germany.
“I don’t feel entitled to speak on specific far-right political movements, but I believe I can say this: be wary of those offering ‘easy but misleading answers,’ those who claim, ‘with us, you’ll return to the golden age of sixty years ago,’” Matarella remarked on Saturday.
The lengthy meetings between the two also highlighted the strong ties between Italy and Germany.
Steinmeier described Mattarella’s visit as “a symbol of the deep friendship between our nations, a bond that is not only necessary and rational but also heartfelt.” Mattarella, for his part, described Germany as an “essential partner.”
Mattarella reiterated that nothing had changed in relations between the two countries under the leadership of Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni.
“Our relations remain unchanged. They are so strong that they withstand political shifts, and the partnership remains solid, as demonstrated by the agreement signed by our governments last year and yesterday’s phone call between Prime Minister Meloni and Chancellor Scholz,” Mattarella said on Saturday.
The two leaders also shared a common view on migration, which Mattarella summed up as follows: “Migration is a major issue for governments and public opinion alike, and we are working to manage this phenomenon in a more orderly way. We will resolve the problem when we can establish regular migration channels, taking the human trafficking market out of the hands of criminals.”
A few days earlier, Palazzo Chigi released a statement detailing a telephone conversation between Meloni and Scholz about recent German decisions on migration.
The statement revealed that “both leaders agreed to maintain close coordination on migration policy in the lead-up to the upcoming European Council meetings, with the aim of strengthening the link between the internal and external dimensions of EU migration policy, especially in terms of partnerships with countries of origin and transit, returns, combating human trafficking, and facilitating legal migration.”
(Alessia Peretti | Euractiv.it)
Source: euractiv.com
