Statement by President Meloni on national day of remembrance for victims of the Coronavirus epidemic

The Covid-19 pandemic has left its mark on our recent history. More than four years have passed since the world was struck by the health crisis, and our nation paid a particularly high price. Today, we honour the memory of our compatriots who are no longer with us and our thoughts go out to their families and loved ones. The grief for so many lives lost is still an open wound.

The pandemic crisis had huge economic, social and health consequences and, in many respects, we still have a long way to go to recover. I am thinking, for example, of Covid-19’s devastating impact on our children and teenagers. It will take a lot of time and a complex set of measures to give our younger generations back what the pandemic, and the health regulations imposed at the time, took away from them.

The pandemic turned our lives upside down, but the Italian people found the strength to react, and did so showing humanity, solidarity, unity and selflessness. This is the most precious thing that came out of that crisis and it is something we must remember, as it can still teach us a great deal.

[Courtesy translation]