Italy celebrates 80 years of Republic with calls for peace

Italy marked the 80th anniversary of the establishment of its Republic on Tuesday with a grand military parade along Rome's Via dei Fori Imperiali. The ceremony was attended by top national authorities and served as a moment to remember the "act of freedom" that led to the republic's founding, with particular emphasis on the enfranchisement of women for the first time.

Units from all branches of law enforcement and the military marched, accompanied by numerous mayors. The Italian Air Force's aerobatic team, the 'Frecce Tricolori,' painted the sky with the national flag's colors over the Altar of the Fatherland. President Sergio Mattarella laid a wreath at the monument to the unknown soldier before the main procession began.

Following the President's arrival, alongside Senate President Ignazio La Russa, Chamber of Deputies President Lorenzo Fontana, and Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, tenor Andrea Bocelli performed the national anthem. The celebration commemorates the 1946 referendum that abolished the monarchy and granted women the right to vote, leading to King Umberto II's exile.

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Eighty years have passed since that June 2, 1946, which marked the achievement by Italians of an unprecedented act of freedom. The difficulties and risks that today affect our security and well-being must be faced with determination. There can be no true peace while hotbeds of threat persist, nor true well-being if even a part of humanity is forced to live in precariousness.

In his message, President Mattarella stated, "Eighty years have passed since that June 2, 1946, which marked the achievement by Italians of an unprecedented act of freedom." He added, "The difficulties and risks that today affect our security and well-being must be faced with determination. There can be no true peace while hotbeds of threat persist, nor true well-being if even a part of humanity is forced to live in precariousness."

Prime Minister Meloni echoed the sentiment on social media, calling the anniversary a narrative of the "path Italians have built together: stories of sacrifice, courage, unity, solidarity, and commitment, generation after generation." She highlighted Italy's commitment, alongside Europe, to restoring the value of norms in international relations and overcoming conflict to build effective security for all.

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This anniversary is not just a historical date, but it also tells the story of the path that Italians have built together: stories of sacrifice, courage, unity, solidarity and commitment, generation after generation.