" Never before has peace cried out its urgency. The peace that our Constitution indicates as an indispensable objective, that Italy has always pursued. The peace of which the European Union is a historic expression." This was said by the President of the Republic Sergio Mattarella in his traditional end-of-year speech , which began with references to the wars underway in Gaza, the Middle East and Ukraine.

Peace – added the Head of State – “does not mean submitting to the arrogance of those who attack other countries with weapons, but it is the peace of respect for human rights, the peace of the right of every people to freedom and dignity”.

The president also spoke about Cecilia Sala , the Italian journalist detained in Iran: "I interpret, in these hours, the anguish of everyone for the detention of Cecilia Sala. We are close to her waiting to see her again as soon as possible in Italy" , said Mattarella.

The head of state then underlined the "lights and shadows that also concern our Italy". Among these he cited the "long waiting lists for tests that, if timely, can save lives. But many people give up treatment and medicine because they lack the necessary means".

And then, the president said, "between North and South there is an unequal availability of services. The danger of abandonment of internal and mountain areas continues. It is therefore necessary to bridge these distances and ensure an effective fullness of rights is our task."

Words also on climate change : "Climate change - continued Mattarella - also has a decisive impact on the weather events we experience in Italy: we have repeated evidence of this. Floods can no longer be considered extraordinary events. They are frequent and must therefore be prevented with foresight, removing the conditions that cause disasters".

Mattarella's speech did not lack references to young people: "The precariousness and uncertainty that young generations feel must be addressed with great commitment also because therein lies a significant cause of the birth crisis we are experiencing". Furthermore, " bullying, fights, use of weapons. The worrying spread of alcohol and drug consumption, old and new, even among the very young. Behaviors unfortunately fueled by the web that often proposes models inspired by arrogance, easy success, getting high" . But "young people are the great resource of our country - Mattarella remarked - and we can count on their enthusiasm, on their creative strength, on the generosity they often show. We have the duty to listen to their discomfort, to give concrete answers to their needs , to their aspirations".

Mattarella also launched a warning to do more to combat deaths at work, to improve the conditions of prisoners in prisons and to stem feminicides and violence against women : "We have been dramatically involved in the horror of the unacceptable fate of Giulia Cecchettin - he said - and, like her, of many other women killed by the barbarity of men who do not respect women's freedom and dignity and, in reality, do not even respect themselves. We no longer want to have to talk about women as victims . We want and must talk about their energy, their work, their being protagonists".

On foreigners: " It is patriotism that of those who, with origins in other countries, love Italy, make its constitutional values and laws their own, live its daily life to the full, and with their work and their sensitivity become part of it and contribute to enriching our community . It is essential to create paths of integration and mutual understanding because the future of our societies also depends on this".

"In 2025 - concluded Mattarella - we will celebrate the eightieth anniversary of the Liberation. It is the foundation of the Republic and the prerequisite of the Constitution, which have allowed Italy to reconnect the threads of its history and its unity. An important anniversary . It brings with it the call to liberation from everything that hinders freedom, democracy, dedication to Italy, the dignity of each person, work, justice. These are values that animate the life of our country, the expectations of people, our communities" .

(Unioneonline/lf)

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