The partisan who became president

"I am faithful to Voltaire's precept, and it is this. I say to my opponent: 'I fight your faith, which is contrary to mine, but I am ready to fight even at the cost of my life so that you can freely express your thoughts.' That is my position. That is, I am not a believer, but I respect the faith of believers. I, for example, am a socialist, but I respect the political beliefs of others and discuss them. I argue with them, I argue with them, but they are free to freely express their thoughts. I am a democrat in this sense, truly." These words encapsulate Sandro Pertini, the most beloved President of the Republic in Italian history. Those with a few gray hairs remember him bringing comfort to the people of Irpinia after the tragic earthquake of 1980 , or celebrating in the stands the Italian national team's victory at the 1982 World Cup.

The Presidency of the Republic, however, represents only the final phase of Pertini's life and political career, as he was already over eighty when elected president in 1978. But who had Pertini been up until that point? Luigi Garlando recounts this in one hundred swift and moving chapters in his Sandro Libera Tutti (Rizzoli, 2025, pp. 368), an intimate portrait of an extraordinary man whose lesson in humanity shaped twentieth-century Italian history.

It all begins, in Garlando's story, in the tool shed of a Ligurian villa, where a boy plays at carving wood. Sandro Pertini, the son of a wealthy family, aspires to be a cabinetmaker when he grows up, working with furniture and fine wood.

Italy in the early twentieth century, however, was a country in turmoil: the gap between rich and poor was enormous, the winds of socialism shook the streets, the enthusiasm of interventionists spurred war. Sandro observed, listened, doubted. The uncomfortable questions, social injustices, and the First World War shaped his conscience, fueling his hunger for justice. As he grew older, Sandro understood that it was not wood he wanted to shape, but society. To make it better, to make it a place of justice and freedom for all. A passion grew within him, stronger than any other: politics, not the kind held in the halls of power, but the kind that cared about people and the common good. This drive would define his existence, allowing him to endure years in prison, to fight against fascism, to work day after day for the newborn Italian Republic, until he became its president. To become a figure who is for all a symbol of resistance, integrity, and dedication to the highest ideals. But also of sympathy and closeness to ordinary people.

Because Pertini was one of us. And that's precisely why his example continues to impact us.