Mattarella and Meloni for the Day of Remembrance: "a tragedy that belongs to the entire Nation, remembering is a duty to pass on the historical truth"

On February 10, Italy commemorated the Day of Remembrance, established to pay homage to the victims of the foibe and the exodus of Italians from Istria, Fiume and Dalmatiaa. During the solemn ceremony at the Quirinale, theThe President of the Republic Sergio Mattarella and the Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni have underlined the importance of keeping alive the memory of a painful page of Italian history, too long forgotten.

Mattarella: “A page of history culpably erased”

During the ceremony at the Quirinale, President Mattarella called attention to the importance of remembrance as an instrument of truth and justice. "We meet to renew the Day of Remembrance, a solemn occasion that invites us to reflect on dark pages of our past, to preserve and renew the memory of the suffering of the Italians of Istria, Fiume and Dalmatia, in a tragically tormented period of European history. In that area in the East, so peculiar, where, in alternating phases, Italian, Slavic, German and many other communities had met and lived together, violence took over, transforming it into a land of suffering“, the president added.

"War always brings with it terrible consequences: mourning, pain, devastation. It had been like this during the First World War, during which millions of young people from both sides were sacrificed in a stubborn and cruel trench warfare. But that bloody lesson had not, unfortunately, led to change. Because even more inhuman were the events of the Second World War, where the clash between armies of nations that had declared themselves enemies was superimposed by the deadly virus of totalitarian ideologies, ethnic oppression, aggressive nationalism, racism, which cruelly attacked civilian populations, especially against groups that were defined as minorities.".

Of that, Mattarella continued, "the Foibe remain the darkest symbol. And no squalid provocation can reduce its memory and harsh condemnation“, he further reported, confirming the importance of the institution of Remembrance Day, "voted by a large majority in the Italian Parliament, it has contributed to reconnecting to Italian history that tragic and neglected chapter, sometimes even culpably removed.o ".

In conclusion, Mattarella underlined, “every people, every nation, carries with it a burden of suffering and injustices suffered. We appreciate the efforts made by historians on both sides to come closer to a shared memory. But, where this is not easily achievable, and sometimes it is not, we must have the ability to make gestures of attention, dialogue, respect. We must listen to the stories of others, share suffering, and work together to heal the wounds of the past".

This year too, he reiterated, “Remembrance Day has offered us and offers us an opportunity to be seized with commitment to reflect on the lessons of the past. The Republic looks at the dramatic events experienced by the Italians of Istria, Dalmatia, Fiume with respect and solidarity, and we work, in the European Union, together with Slovenia, Croatia and other friendly countries to build, every day, new paths of integration, friendship and brotherhood between peoples and States".

Mattarella, Furthermore, he recalled how the story of the exiles had long been underestimated or even ignored. "Words like foiba and infoibare were for a long time synonymous with the concealment of history. The institution of the Day of Remembrance has helped to reconnect that tragic chapter, sometimes guiltily removed, to our history", he has declared.

Meloni: “Their story defeated the conspiracy of silence”

Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni also commemorated the victims of the foibe, recalling the importance of remembrance for the younger generationsthe. “It is a story that has defeated the conspiracy of silence and that no denialist attempt will ever be able to hide or erase again.“, said the Prime Minister.

Meloni recalled the tragedy of the foibe and the Julian-Dalmatian exodus as a heritage of the entire nation"On Remembrance Day we pay homage to the victims of the foibe and to all those who suffered the tragedy of the exodus. It is our duty to restore to them the dignity they deserve and to honor those who suffered to keep their identity alive.".

In a particularly important passage, Meloni defined the exiles as “Italians twice, by birth and by choice". He then promised to continue to pass on this memory to the younger generations."We will continue to write new pages and tell their story, because it does not belong only to a portion of the border, but is a heritage of the entire Nation.".

A memory to preserve

The ceremony at the Quirinale and the words of the highest state officials have renewed the call for the importance of memory as a tool for cohesion and historical awareness.