April 25, the risk of crushing Italy on the past – Corriere.it

Polls uniformly say that the controversies over April 25, the day of Liberation from the dictatorship of fascists and Nazis, are not having great electoral effects. On the one hand it can be disconcerting. On the other, a positive confirmation: it means that we are dealing with a debate clumsily fed by some exponents of the right; opposed by the left, and not only, albeit with instrumental excesses and reducing the role of the Allies; but observed by a large part of public opinion with a touch of annoyance for the divisions that these minorities artificially maintain. It is possible that today, when the head of state, Sergio Mattarella, will go up to the Altare della Patria in Rome to pay his homage together with the premier Giorgia Meloni and the leaders of Parliament, the controversy will suddenly turn yellow.

On the other hand, the President of the Republic left no room for interpretations of convenience. The compass with which they moved was that of those who consider Liberation a founding value. And those who will accompany him will in fact show that they are bowing, if not sharing this approach: even if widespread tensions remain. In the end, the ambiguous or nostalgic positions, present in the right-wing majority, were apparently isolated. And not only for the reaction of a left that at times shows that it wants to appropriate April 25 exclusively. Both the ill-concealed irritation of Giorgia Meloni dissociated themselves from some disconcerting statements by the president of the Senate, Ignazio La Russa and other exponents of FdI; and the distancing of allies such as Lega and FI, lined up on this occasion with the Quirinale. That they did it to underline the contradictions of the prime minister’s party matters relatively. Nor is it necessary to remark that in the past they had shown less convinced adherence. However tormented, and despite the poisons, what has happened in recent weeks has perhaps made it possible to clarify the value of an anniversary; and subtract it from the attempts of those who aim to embalm it to delegitimize their opponents; but also to those of those who are shortsightedly trying to delegitimize April 25th.

They are two equally harmful operations. The worst, however, that of those who dare to rewrite history that smacks of a desire for revenge. It demonstrates not only the inability to understand the Constitution and the values ​​on which it is founded. It also ends up giving the adversaries the exclusivity of a reservoir of principles that should be perceived as common; and which have allowed everyone to mature up to the point of governing Italy. The essential memory, provided you keep it alive to unite. Looking back makes you lose sight of the future. And sometimes even the present.