Event report

Context, FINALITY, SUBJECT AND STRUCTURE/METODOLOGY OF THE EVENT| Tuesday 5 October at 20:45 at Sala al Parco Endas Martorano — Via Violone di Gattolino — Cesena (FC) was held a meeting to which all the main political forces active in the territory of Cesenate were invited to discuss the importance of defending and strengthening democracy in Europe. The event organised by the MFE sections of Cesena and Cesenatico was moderated by Maria Laura Moretti, secretary of the Ursula Hirschmann section of Cesena. Number AND TYPE OF PARTICIPANTS PRESENT | 19 people participated, most of them local administrators or political activists. Participants were about 35 years old and 14 men and 5 women participated. Main MATERIES OF DISCUSSION DURING THE LABORATORS/SEMINARY/ASSEMBLEE| Debate on democracy, its roots and the importance it has for the future starting from the local level. Main IDEAS SUBJECT FROM THE PARTICIPANTS DURING THE EVENT, DISCORS AND ARGOMENTS SHARE or debated THAT IDEAS| The main thread of the evening and that has united all the interventions was the awareness that we need to go further and bring to the conclusion the project of a United and Federal Europe in order to defend democracy. Democracy that we often take for granted but which we must also defend at local level. Ideas for citizens’ involvement such as an Erasmus at local level have emerged to facilitate the exchange of good practices between administrations or associations, and everyone is committed to involving as many people as possible to talk about these issues. The GENERAL ATMOSFERA AND THE FOLLOW-UP ATTESO| The participants were extremely satisfied and encouraged to carry out other initiatives of this depth. The debate on concrete issues between representatives of different movements or political parties is the soul of democracy. From the MFE section of Cesena came the proposal to bring an agenda on the Conference on the Future of Europe in the Municipal Council in Cesena to raise awareness of the issue. Summary Written| Tuesday, October 5 at Sala al Parco Endas Martorano — Via Violone di Gattolino — Cesena (FC) was held a meeting to which all the main political forces active in the territory of Cesena were invited to discuss the importance of defending and strengthening democracy in Europe. The evening was introduced by Maria Laura Moretti, Secretary of the MFE — Ursula Hirschmann section of Cesena, who stressed the importance of the Conference on the Future of Europe in giving voice to European citizens and putting pressure on political forces. In particular, the theme of the evening is democracy. The European Union bases its existence on democratic values, as recalled by the President of the Republic. In recent years we have witnessed a series of events that have led to a destabilisation and rise of extremism that endanger the very existence of democracy, but we must not feel powerless, we can do something to defend it. The European Union is taking action in this regard, although it is a complex and complicated issue. Let us take, for example, the 3 rd panel of the Conference on the Future of Europe, where citizens have proved to be more ambitious than political leaders for European integration. The platform provided for the Conference is a great opportunity. He gave the floor to a young GFE member, Marco Rocco De Luca, who gave a reflection on democracy in Poland. Poland is a state that after the fall of the Berlin Wall has benefited from large funds from the European Union. Over the years there has been a progressive infiltration of right-wing opposition forces in the Catholic Church, which remains one of the main points of reference for Polish citizens and an ever stronger manipulation of information until an autocratic force represented by the PiS to the Polish government arrives. What is Europe’s role to be? Europe does not subvert the will of the people (as the extreme right-wing forces say) but must stand as a bulwark of democracy for all European citizens and support the forces that protect democracy regardless of their political side. The European Union’s action plan for democracy is to ensure free and fair elections; ensuring freedom of the media; fighting disinformation. Lorenzo Plumari, Cesena Municipal Secretary of the Democratic Party, intervened. He thanked the MFE of Cesena for this occasion of debate because normally the parties remain at the tip of the iceberg without going further to investigate the future of Europe. In recent elections, the parties closest to Europe’s support have won. Now with the implementation of the NRP and the reaction to the pandemic by the European Union we have a paradigm shift, there has been a very good response. The crucial point will be the post-PNRR. European funds are resources that have been coming to the territories for a long time, and are crucial in particular for certain sectors such as agriculture and for reducing the gap between north and south. They have an economic but also social aspect. Moreover, there is an important fact that we must bear in mind, in the post-war period the European population was 25 % of the world’s population, whereas today it is only 10 %. We need to make a speech on immigration in a decisive step. Our society is experiencing a crisis of the individual, the model to be given to the European Union is a real political and social union to safeguard our society. It is time to risk and take a step forward. We must choose whether we want a future as protagonists as Europeans or as marginal power. Europe cannot be set up without an idea of Europe. Starting from cultural and religious diversity we need to address the issue of integration and reception in order to strengthen the European Union. Romano Fabbri of the Republican Party took part below, stressing the fact that there are parties that have democracy in their DNA and is pleased that so many young people are present at the evening. It draws attention to the economic and financial aspect that has been the strongest push to move forward in the process of European integration and now calls for a stronger tightening of the population to the United States of Europe. We need to strengthen the structure. The Stability Pact needs to be relaxed and growth-enhancing and stronger for the Eurogroup, a change in favour of European policies. Since 2008 we are witnessing not a problem of growth but of unbalanced growth. It is important to recognise that the euro crisis was due to private imbalances. Italy has grown little over the past 10 years but is not a specific national problem for all. So do we need European or national instruments to solve this problem? The competitiveness of a country depends on internal variables, wages and productivity, who is responsible for solving these problems? Italy or Europe? What instruments does the European Union have, for example, with regard to justice. The European Union has no powers to solve Italian growth problems. There is widespread reluctance to put into practice a stronger political union at European level. If you want to do it, you have to share sovereignty in other matters. The crisis has led to the nationalisation of the banking system. The restructuring of the banking system requires more Europe. Europe has been built step by step. The imperfection must not turn back. The new political systems must be non-cold evolutionary. The crises we have experienced convince us that the status quo is not sustainable. Europe is only in danger if you prefer a return back. Then Luigi Di Placido of the Liberals intervenes, who says that Europe is talking little and badly about it. As a political sentiment it is recognised with the figure of Giuseppe Mazzini who spoke of Giovine Europa when Italy was born, characterised by a Europeanism from heart beyond the obstacle. Politics is a passion that must be pursued and cultivated. Our fault is to think that Europe is the solution to all the problems that we should solve first. The highest amount of Next Generation EU was reserved for Italy because it is the country that had the biggest problems to solve. How to strengthen democracy at local level? Europe is a framework within which it is drawn. Liberal Democracy is the term that identifies democracy here in Europe. Lately, we have seen very dangerous drifts that have highlighted the limits of democracy. Populist waves also undermined someone’s ideas. For example, candidates in local elections focused on vaccinations and called into question the protection of health, one of the fundamental values of the Constitution. We are experiencing a gap between politics and citizens, training is lacking. The Conference on the Future of Europe is an opportunity to feel Europe less distant. But politics must also involve citizens at local level. There are so many occasions where we fail to participate. It is also an opportunity to share with citizens the objectives to be achieved with the funds of the NRP. There is a problem linked to economic growth, wealth a territory must develop by enabling those who are able to do so to do so. It is important to address the issue of security and immigration, if we do not deal with it, it gives rise to those who want complete closure. Europe also speaks of young people, because we do not activate a local Erasmus so that through experience I get involved and discover something new. In this way it is possible to appreciate the local territory. Young families must be supported. Europe is so because it defends civil rights, Poland and Hungary are not the example to follow. It is crucial to give the civil rights that we must guarantee to citizens a central role. We don't have to take it for granted. Priya Baldazzi dei Popolari for Cesena took the floor, stressing the fundamental importance of the common good and of the values of welcome and equality. Europe must be conceived as a home and way of life in which there is established democracy, respect for environmental standards, guarantee of welfare and greater efficiency in research and education, but above all territorial cohesion that welcomes the weakest. The call goes to the young people of the territory to spread fraternity and dialogue between religions and Churches for world peace. The territory is the centrality of peoples and must be the nest of dreams and programmes targeted for training and education in the enhancement of people. More investment in infrastructure and conservation of natural resources is needed and the development of the circular economy needs to be stepped up. We need to increase our capacities to understand them and use these issues for the territory and use them as tools to live a better Europe. Then it is the turn of the Councillor to the Municipality of Cesena, Carmelina Labruzzo who underlines the importance of the role of formation/information of the political forces, also mentioned by Ursula Von Der Leyen. “I care” means a commitment to widen as much as possible. Young people engaged in politics are often like white flies, we need to reverse the course. We go out and go to schools to infect even through the great witnesses. The benefits that the European Union brings to us with its projects are touched by hand, for example with the Valius project, knowledge and exchange between countries united in passion. Danilo Buonora di Fondamenta, who talks about the subject of accessibility to culture, for example, why in many European countries the admission to museums is free for young people and in Italy does not? He also stressed the difference between abstentionism, recalling that the right to vote was won with a great struggle and participation, highlighting the success of the collection of signatures for the referendum on legal euthanasia. New tools must be used to reach people. One of the main objectives is to increase the powers of the European Parliament to ensure that people believe that their work can affect. Another fundamental issue is reception, we have witnessed the condemnation of Mimmo Lucano and last October was the anniversary of the Lampedusa massacre, and tensions continue to exist, for example, on the border between France and the United Kingdom. There are no simple solutions to complex steps. We must stimulate a democracy closer to people and give more voice to those who do not have it and that the vote is made more accessible to all. Tommaso Pirini of Italia Viva then intervened, stressing the importance of bringing and making assemblies more participatory. It is important to use the technology and tools available to bring people closer. The role of teachers is crucial because the spread of values starts from school. Very often the European elections have been characterised by the choice of candidates who did not live up to this, the fundamental importance of training to create skills. In addition, there is also a need for greater openness to listening. Training schools are lacking and you find yourself catapulted into certain realities without knowing the opportunities. However, the role of training is vital to give the power to distinguish between true and false information. We must combine dialogue with information and training. Marco Rocco De Luca spoke again as representative of the Young Democrats and stressed that the theme is complex. Participation is collapsing dramatically, it is easier to react with a like on a social. At the same time, if young people do not go to vote, it is difficult for parties to vote in the interests of those who do not vote. Europe can be the most beautiful garden in the world where human rights are respected and more respected than the rest of the world. But democratic values in Europe are being pursued only by one political side, the right does not. In the past it was not so, a politician like Almirante argued that the right is either Europe or not. Where is he now? There is no concrete view of Europe by the right. There can be no democracy without participation. Alessandro Pilotti, of Cesenatico’s MFE section and member of the National Directorate, underlined the need to unite Europe in order to unite the world, especially to address issues such as the fight against climate change. He invites to do in Cesena as is done in Germany and join the political forces from Forza Italia to the left to create a permanent assembly for Federal Europe, carrying out a work of listening and mobility because then when we move to the constructive part we have the tools to mobilise at local level. The theme of democracy is the European federation. The last speaker was Valentina Maestri, of the MFE section of Cesena and Deputy Regional Secretary of MFE Emilia-Romagna who expressed her satisfaction with the meeting full of contents and ideas and which was an expression of true participatory democracy. Expresses its concern about any radicalisation of political positions that would risk endangering the democracy that we now consider as obvious but which is not and which we must defend every day through dialogue and knowledge. In conclusion as MFE will be proposed to all political forces an agenda to be brought to the municipal council in Cesena to focus attention on the Conference on the Future of Europe. It is difficult to talk about Europe but we are all part of the same territory and we must move together to make a difference. The PROPOSES THAT THE PARTICIPANTS ACCEPTED TO PRESENT| In order to strengthen European democracy, it is necessary to: 1) Increase and strengthen reception and integration policies; 2) give more political power to the European Union; 3) propose Erasmus also at local level; 4) Forming and developing the circular economy; 5) bringing European values into schools; 6) empower the European Parliament and ensure greater access to voting also through new technologies; 7) Increase training schools; 8) opening up to new forms of participation; 9) create a permanent city assembly for Federal Europe.