Not just foibe, what is the antidote against barbarism
There are memories that never cease to live in the present. Like that of the foibe. Here because. Guiglia's notebook
There are memories that never cease to live in the present. Like that of the foibe, into which, starting from 1943, twenty thousand Italians were thrown, dead and alive, simply for being Italian, by Tito's Yugoslav partisans. And then the exodus of over 350 thousand compatriots from Fiume, Istria and Dalmatia that followed. This dramatic chapter in the country's history has long gone beyond the "wall of silence, oblivion, embarrassment and political opportunism", as the President of the Republic, Sergio Mattarella, said when celebrating "Remembrance Day".
But the president did not limit himself to denouncing the ferocity of that ethnic cleansing promoted by the communist dictator, furthermore contesting the attempt of those who today would like to minimize or even deny that anti-Italian massacre, "an affront to the victims and an inestimable damage for the collective conscience of a people and a nation". Mattarella also indicated what the antidote is to the barbarism already experienced on the eastern border: the construction of the European Union.
A reference with a double meaning, because since Europe decided to reunite 27 of its countries under a single institutional roof, after centuries of fratricidal wars, the longest period of peace in the history of the West has blossomed. And the conflict unleashed by Putin against Ukraine, that is, right on the border of the geographical heart of the continent, is confirmation of how much the EU has contributed to the idea that another world is possible, and how unfortunately the call for Mattarella. Especially on the eve of the second year – February 24th – of war.
A war still without an outcome, as evidenced by the decision of Zelensky, the Ukrainian president who replaced the commander in chief of the Armed Forces (General Syrsky in place of Zaluzhny) "to change approach and strategy" – he explained -, and the Putin's interview with an American journalist, Tucker Carlson. Two hours to expose one's own propagandistic point of view to the American public, seasoned with the ending, not at all surprising, that "Russia is ready to negotiate with the USA on Ukraine". With the assurance, your goodness, that Moscow does not intend to extend the conflict to other countries such as Poland and Latvia.
For some time, however, European leaders no longer believe Putin's words. On the contrary, starting from the reality of Russian aggression in violation of all rights, the EU has intensified its support for Ukraine. And several countries, starting with Germany, are starting to hypothesize a NATO without the United States, in view of the possible return of the isolationist Trump to the White House after the November elections. Just as for defensive reasons we are thinking – including Italy – of strengthening the reservists.
Europeans know that peace is too serious a thing not to always have to safeguard it in every aspect.
(Published in L'Arena di Verona , Il Giornale di Vicenza , Bresciaoggi and Gazzetta di Mantova )
This is a machine translation from Italian language of a post published on Start Magazine at the URL https://www.startmag.it/mondo/__trashed-262/ on Sun, 11 Feb 2024 08:30:37 +0000.