Year XXXIX, Number 1, March 2026

Sergio Mattarella

President of the Italian Republic.

On the occasion of the first European Conference of Ventotene for Peace and Democracy, the President of the Republic, Sergio Mattarella, sent the following message to the Vice-President of the European Parliament, Pina Picierno:

“Ventotene, once a place of confinement and oppression of human beings and a symbol of the absolutism that weighed upon Italy under the Fascist regime, has long since become one of the places that inspired the affirmation of the values of peace and democracy that define what has become the European Union.

A place where the seeds of freedom and of that federalism were planted – values that enriched the debate among the peoples of Europe as they advanced toward the goal of a union of independent and free nations. Building Europe meant overcoming the logic of conflict and war, preventing the oppression of human beings by their fellow human beings, and reaffirming the dignity of every human being, of every person. This was the powerful message that came from the anti-fascist figures imprisoned on the island, whose life lesson remains an example for younger generations.

The training and dialogue initiatives that continue to unfold bear witness to the enduring relevance of what was born in Ventotene amid the hardships of political exile.

It is a task that must be taken up anew by every generation: to give concrete meaning to the values of freedom that guided the struggle of the founders.

To all participants in today’s event, I extend my best wishes for fruitful work.”