Italy’s November 4 National Unity and Armed Forces Day had particular significance this year, President Sergio Mattarella said in a message to Defence Minister Guido Crosetto, as the country marks the 80th anniversary of its choice of a republic.
Earlier in the day, Mattarella laid a laurel wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Rome’s Altare della Patria. Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, Crosetto, the presidents of the Senate and Chamber of Deputies, Ignazio La Russa and Lorenzo Fontana, and Constitutional Court President Giovanni Amoroso attended the ceremony.
Mattarella said the armed forces’ oath of loyalty to the Republic is grounded in the values of its Constitution. He described those values as a legacy to protect, linking remembrance of the past with hope for the future and the aim of preventing the atrocities of the world wars from happening again.
The commemoration also recalls the completion of the Risorgimento’s drive for national unity and the path to freedom and democracy through the Liberation struggle. Mattarella said the Republic’s commitment to peace and international cooperation had also given Italy an influential role.
The day was marked by the deaths of four Italian service members in Bosnia and Herzegovina on October 29 while taking part in the EUFOR Althea operation. Meloni said their loss underscored the high price paid by those who serve in uniform and the importance of never taking their courage for granted.
Sources: Il Sole 24 Ore Italia.