Italian President Mattarella Honors 80th Anniversary of Constituent Assembly's First Session

Italian President Sergio Mattarella addressed the Chamber of Deputies to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the Constituent Assembly's inaugural session, held in the same chamber. He paid tribute to the men and women who drafted Italy's Constitution, emphasizing their role in establishing the nation's freedom and democracy following the 1946 referendum that opted for a republican system.

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We honor the women and men who, in the Constituent Assembly... knew how to give shape to the freedom and democracy of Italians.

"We honor the women and men who, in the Constituent Assembly... knew how to give shape to the freedom and democracy of Italians," Mattarella stated, acknowledging the assembly's work in securing the country's independence. He lauded the progress Italy has made over the decades as a source of national pride and a testament to the foresight of the constitution's framers.

Mattarella recalled Carlo Sforza's 1945 appeal to remember the martyrs of fascism, such as Matteotti and Gramsci, and to build a future for Italy aligned with a peaceful and united Europe. He noted that the 535 men and 21 women of the Constituent Assembly worked intensely for 18 months to reshape Italy, resulting in the Constitution that has provided stability to democratic institutions and guided the nation's international standing and progress.

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The path, the progress that republican Italy has made in these decades is a source of pride for the Italian people and, at the same time, a testament to the wisdom and foresight that the mothers and fathers of the Constitution knew how to exercise at that turning point in history.

"For the first time in national history, the legal and real aspects of the country coincided with truly universal suffrage," Mattarella observed. He also addressed critical interpretations of the Assembly's work, which sometimes viewed its dialogue and synthesis as detrimental compromises, leading to fragile republican structures. "Nothing more, according to those critics, than a bartering..." he began, before the provided text cuts off.

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For the first time in national history, the legal and real aspects of the country coincided with truly universal suffrage.