Author: Sergio Mattarella

English: "Our identity as a democratic and European country could not accept that important pages of its history were torn out, leaving our fellow citizens of the "eastern border" in a sort of moral abandonment. Re-establishing historical truth and cultivating memory are the result of tenacious and precious work, which the associations of exiles and the Julian-Dalmatian and Istrian communities have helped to achieve. The Day of Remembrance, in renewing the memory of the tragedies and suffering endured by Italians in the province of Trieste, in Istria, in Fiume and on the Dalmatian coasts, is an opportunity to give life to a shared history, to strengthen the conscience of our people, to contribute to the construction of a European identity aware of the tragedies of the past. The abyss of the world war and the aberrations of totalitarian systems are now behind us, even if those signs cannot be erased and we must always be guided by the awareness that the conquests of civilization must be continually updated. Remembering must not foster resentment, but increasingly free the hope of a better world. Today Europe is seen as the continent of democracy, brotherhood, freedom, peace among peoples. To continue to be so, it must overcome the selfishness that is holding back its project and the illusion that a return to nationalism can protect us from the risks of globalization. In this case too, history and common memory can provide great help in looking to the future and in banishing from the destiny of our children all ethnic cleansing and all racial hatred". Rome, 10 February 2016