The appeal to vote, a founding premise of European reformism

In recent days, the joint appeal of the President of the Italian Republic Sergio Mattarella and his counterparts from Germany, Frank Walter Steinmeier, and Austria, Alexander Van der Bellen, seems to have attracted general attention, both for having been addressed to the community by Presidents of three large European countries, both for its contents, probably simple in their enunciation, but full of meaning in their substance.

In wanting to underline that "it will be a crucial year for democracy in Europe and in many parts of the world", of a "decisive year that (will) stabilize the course for the decades to come", we include not only the pure and simple invitation addressed to the majority of European citizens to go to the polls to express their voting preference, but also, and above all, the need to make popular participation, and therefore democratic exchange, as broad as possible in a historical moment of transition and transformation.

It might seem like an almost obvious appeal if one did not reflect on its extraordinary relevance. In the meantime, because, at present, what is generally qualified in the all-inclusive and generalized terms of "political offer" seems to have lost its clear bilateral character of opposition, so to speak, since, even within them, the different centre-right coalitions and center-left seem to be able to distinguish different political leaders, thus paradoxically appearing to be competitive with each other. Therefore, because, if it is true, as it seems to be true and incontrovertible, that "our liberal democratic order is profoundly linked to European unification", according to what the three Presidents have supported, then, it appears equally true that it is the duty of every citizen , within the scope of one's personal conviction and political belief, participate convincingly, through the expression of one's vote, in the process of changing European dynamics in full respect of the founding values of the Union, in order to be able to conserve and preserve that principle of " coexistence based on democratic order and peace" on which the three Presidents mentioned have always insisted in a heartfelt manner.

Furthermore, because when Presidents Mattarella, Steinmeier and Van der Bellen maintain that «once achieved, democracy» itself «is not guaranteed» as the «contrast of exasperated nationalisms generates war», then it would seem extremely necessary to reflect on the The importance of building paths of shared peace in different areas of life, proceeding in the direction of defending democratic institutions and values. Finally, because, if we consider it carefully, the appeal of the three Presidents would almost seem to make up for (the use of the conditional tense is necessary) the action of politics generally understood in its role of involving the electorate.

If we consider it carefully, and without wanting to inconvenience Lapalisse, it hardly seems necessary to point out that the appeal made by the three Presidents actually leads to a clear and conscious reflection on the value of the expression of preference inside the ballot box, on the importance of the expectations that every committed citizen who wants to be actively involved in the process of change reflects on political action strictly understood, on what the absorbency of young people's participation in the political debate is. From this perspective, it would probably be a serious mistake not to reflect on the relevance of the words of the three Presidents which, in truth, seem to reflect, in their substantial contents, the need to solicit maximum popular involvement in the very delicate process of change that appears necessary to undertake at a supra-level -national and oriented towards the construction of an authentic Europe of the Peoples and for the Peoples.

In this sense, the invitation from the Head of State seems to come loud and clear as an exhortation to overcome any and all reasons for potential disaffection towards politics and its dynamics to achieve conscious and motivated participation and the expression of one's preference for inside the ballot box in a responsible manner, both towards the national community and the supra-national one on which the former, by virtue of belonging, seems to depend.

The most shared participation, in other words, can contribute to the creation of a Europe that is as close as possible to the needs of the majority of its members, which is the mirror and reflection of common expectations and to achieve its objectives. The future of Europe would seem to remain entrusted to the results of the June vote. Participate to change. And in this sense, it seems necessary for the parties in the field to offer clear and defined political proposals to general attention, easily perceivable and appreciable in their relevance and necessity.

Giuseppina Di Salvatore – Lawyer, Nuoro