Taken from The Sunday column by Prof. Pier Franco Quaglieni (Director of the Pannunzio Centre) on “il Torinese. Online Daily of Information Society Culture” – 19/07/2020

Source: https://iltorinese.it/2020/07/19/la-rubrica-della-domenica-di-pier-franco-quaglieni-55/

The 107-year-old writer Boris Pahor was awarded the Knighthood of the Grand Cross of Merit of the Republic in Trieste, which was also unworthily awarded to me twenty-one years ago by President Scalfaro. Pahor declared shortly before being awarded the title that the foibe are a lie. Verbatim. A serious statement, a denialism outside of history. Perhaps we should forgive him for his age, but only the Associazione Venezia Giulia Dalmazia had anything to say about it. The shared visit of the Slovenian and Italian Presidents to the Basovizza foibe was important, perhaps even of historical value if symbolic acts are followed by facts. The Knighthood of Pahor, on the other hand, leaves one perplexed. Perhaps there are reasons that escape us and that the President of the Republic instead considered before awarding the highest honor of the Italian State, the same that many years ago was unfortunately also awarded to Marshal Tito, the foibator of Italians. Reasons of state sometimes lead to going against history and truth.