Mattarella: "The challenge is to restart, Italy united in the face of the pandemic"

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20 December 2021 From the traditional ceremony for the exchange of year-end greetings between the President of the Republic, Sergio Mattarella, and the representatives of the institutions, political forces and civil society, the plan for an active, vigilant, present country materialized that Mattarella would like to "leave" to his successor at the Quirinale. A country for which the wish is not to return to a normality that traces the situation before the pandemic, but which, on the contrary, rides the desire for change, the need for transformation and transition and offers the generations of the present and the future a new normality that presents the need to "change our lifestyles, give development a strong environmental quality,making the digital transition a lever to improve production processes and, at the same time, to improve the lives of people and communities ".

"Now the challenge is to restart which, to be effective, must see us capable of profound changes" says the President of the Republic. "The reconstruction begun this year - underlines the head of state - has, in fact, the aim of providing new answers to problems that are often overlooked and which have taken on unprecedented characteristics. The pandemic has highlighted issues concerning social models, relationship with the environment, respect for people's rights and coexistence, a more equitable distribution of opportunities: these are issues that have grown in common sensitivity also due to the commitment to defeat the virus ".

The president observes: "Thinking about the past year, it comes naturally to reflect on what may appear to be a paradox: trying to regain the normality of our lives knowing that we are in the midst of epochal transformations that are changing work, habits, relationships, in addition to the priorities of the public agenda. The normality that, to date, we have managed to regain - surrounded by caution and health surveillance measures - is already different from what we knew. The normality we pursue will not, however, be the return to the world of first".

"What is about to end was a year of intense work, as hoped for at the end of 2020. With clear priorities: the fight against the pandemic and the recovery of the economic and social life of the country. I believe that we can draw an overall positive balance, for having raised the protection of citizens in the face of the threat of the virus and for having restarted society ".

"It was the result - adds Mattarella - of courageous choices, progress in science, conscientious behavior, a widespread civic sense, and the result of a convergence between institutions and citizens. The pandemic still marks our time. It provoked pain, suffering, new poverties. But we have seen solidarity responses, unexpressed talents and qualities have emerged, innovative processes have accelerated. We have been pushed to correct, with effective measures, the inertia of the economic and social dynamics triggered by the crisis. We are still called to prudence and responsibility. However, we have equipped ourselves with adequate tools to fight the virus. We no longer feel at the mercy of events ".

"Vaccines have been the best defense weapon and the Italians have responded with maturity. Even the organizational machinery of the State and Regions has shown itself to be up to par. Thanks to the high number of vaccinations we are now in better conditions than other areas Europe. We must continue on this path without uncertainty. This way we will be able to ensure the highest possible protection ".

"The first defense against the virus was the confidence of the vast majority of Italians in science and medicine. This was accompanied by that in the institutions, with the substantial, orderly adherence to what was indicated in the various phases of the emergency by the managers, at different levels . The few exceptions - which have perhaps been given disproportionate media prominence - do not in any way affect the exemplary conduct of almost all Italians ".

"I believe that it can be recognized that substantial unity has established itself in Italy. Unity of intentions in the face of the pandemic. And unity of efforts to lay the foundations for a new beginning. The time of the builders came about in this awareness. It was not discounted". "For this reason I want to express recognition - explains the head of state - to the commitment of the political forces that have grasped the meaning of the appeal made at the beginning of the year, to Parliament so that, in the emergency, a government for effectively tackle the pandemic in progress and to develop projects, programs and reforms necessary not to waste the extraordinary opportunity of the Next GenerationEu ".

"Being able to put legitimate divisions and distinctions, programmatic diversity and political and cultural sensitivities to the background in order to favor common work in the national interest was very important. This constructive attitude has often brought together the majority and the opposition".

"Resources, skills and energies have emerged in the country that have made it possible to tackle one of the most dangerous and difficult passages of recent decades. We adopted rigorous measures as soon as we felt the danger of the virus, when Italy was among the most affected countries in the I would like, once again, to express my great gratitude to our doctors, to nurses, to all the operators of the health system who continue to do their utmost to care for the sick, to save lives ".

"Public health has been enhanced and the professionalism of doctors and operators was joined by civil passion, a sense of humanity and solidarity, the organizational capacity that saw the commitment of women and men of the Armed Forces, Corps Police, Civil Protection, many volunteers in every corner of the country ".

"The season of reconstruction also presents itself as a season of duties. Duties also spontaneously assumed by our fellow citizens, whom I wish to thank once again. We have understood that the Republic is both institutions and communities. The community has it needs its democratic institutions to defend itself, to translate its values ​​into reality, to open the way to the future ".

"The Republic is the ensemble of its institutions, citizens, social forces, intermediate bodies, the world of work and businesses. The reconstruction work will be the fruit of everyone's commitment".

"The relationship between the State and the Regions has worked - adds the head of state, which - and I thank them - have actively and positively collaborated with successive governments. The initial understandable frictions and overlaps were progressively The relationship with the mayors and local administrators, a precious reference point for their communities and generous vanguard of the Republic in every territory, has worked and has been an element of strength of the system. The public machine itself tends to strengthen itself, with the administrations projected towards achieving the ambitious objectives indicated in the National Plan. Of course, there are still delays and gaps to be filled,but looking at what has been done, we can say that we are on the right track and that the conditions are in place to make our future commitment intense ". 

"Europe remains an essential reality for Italy. The European Union is our first field of action, and for this reason we are committed to strengthening its institutions and policies in favor of businesses, society, of citizens. We have contributed to a new course of Europe, now we want that we do not go back and continue along this path, starting with the Conference on the future of the Union. Europe remains an essential reality for Europe. Italy". 

"It is precisely the pandemic that has made it clear to everyone what interdependence means. There will be no turning back from this awareness. The fight against the virus is either global or it does not exist. Also the goal of a new development model, environmentally sustainable and will be possible only with the cooperation of countries and international institutions. The G20, which Italy had the honor of presiding this year, has made progress in assuming this responsibility. Our Government has been very active in giving a positive direction to multilateralism, an indispensable condition of global government ". 

"There is no lack of encouraging data: the national GDP growth rate will be among the highest among the EU countries. To this must be added a recovery of jobs, a recovery in production and consumption rates and an appreciable improvement in confidence of families and businesses. Positive but still fragile signs. Tracing the link that binds the good things that have been done together, each for his part, does not at all mean ignoring the problems we face and the inequalities that hurt our community . Just think of tax evasion, the exploitation of precarious work, especially that of women and young people, the neglect of too many of our territories exposed to ever more frequent risks of natural disasters ".

"Alongside these - continues the head of state - demographic data is worrying. The employment rate - a fundamental parameter of social cohesion - is still low. Injuries - even fatal - at work continue, scandalously serious. Territorial imbalances, if not faced with structural interventions, they risk conditioning and slowing down the projects put in place ".

"Italy is a great country and the Italians are a great people. We must have faith in our potential".

"I have emphasized above all the reasons that lead to hope because, too often we prefer to dwell on our limits, on what divides or on the gaps. They should not be ignored or omitted but, by limiting ourselves to this, we risk succumbing to the temptation of resignation. dangerous that blocks the country, that consumes the future, especially that of young people ".