President Meloni’s statement on 162nd anniversary of Italian Unification

Today, Italy is celebrating its national unification, constitution, national anthem and flag, the strong foundations on which our community stands and from which it takes its inspiration.  
162 years ago, on 17 March, Italy embarked on its path as a unitary state, fulfilling the wish of a young visionary and rebel from Genoa, Goffredo Mameli: to no longer see Italians as “trampled upon and mocked” and “divided”, but rather gathered under “a single flag”. 17 March is the national celebration that is most about unity; a day when we are called to remember the reasons we are together. As Ernest Renan explained, a nation is a “great solidarity”, “a plebiscite carried out every day”, “forged by a sense of the sacrifices that have been made and those we are yet prepared to make”. 
This is the challenge before us, the commitment we must honour every day: to reconnect the threads of what unites us and rediscover our sense of community. Only then can we unleash the best this nation has to offer and show that Italy can achieve any goal.
Happy 17th March to all Italians!

[Courtesy translation]