“The role of the free press is decisive: it is a safeguard of people’s freedom.” The President of the Republic underlined this, Sergio Mattarellaspeaking at the new headquarters of the foreign press in Rome which was inaugurated today in Palazzo Grazioli, a symbolic place of the Second Republic because it housed the Roman residence of Silvio Berlusconi.
History
“The second life of Palazzo Grazioli, feng shui offices in place of Putin’s bed”
by Eleonora Capelli
In a room full of journalists, the head of state recalled the years of the foundation of the foreign press in Italy, it was 1912, noting how they were those of the Belle Epoque. And he adds: “Until two years ago Europe lived not in one Belle Epoque me in one time of peace. That we seek and hope to be able to defend, preserve and restore fully by eliminating, removing, extinguishing the winds and fires of war that have been manifesting themselves within Europe and alongside Europe for some time.”
His is a tribute to the role of journalism: “It is increasingly emerging that the world is increasingly integrated, collected, interconnected, with the need for collaborative and non-conflicting relationships and for this too the press is fundamental”, he says. And he underlines that “the Republic’s gratitude towards foreign correspondents is high”.
The penultimate days of Palazzo Grazioli
by Filippo Ceccarelli
Mattarella also allows himself a joke: “I am happy to see such a beautiful new headquarters, even as an honorary member. A condition for which I thank the association very much. I don’t have your card with me, because trusting that you would have let me in anyway without showing it, I did not go to get it in my private home, the one that I had prepared here in Rome more than two years ago”. Next to him the Foreign Minister, Antonio Tajaniwho recalled the Berlusconi years: “In this place I retrace my two lives: I spent 20 years doing your job and another 20 years frequenting this building for political reasons.”
In his role as head of Italian diplomacy, Tajani instead followed in Mattarella’s wake: “On the eastern borders, in Ukraine, in the Middle East, in the Red Sea, in the Suez Canal, we must be bearers of peace”. And addressing foreign journalists: “You can help us grow and play an increasingly important role in the world as bearers of peace, we must be so in this difficult moment”, characterized by “better known wars” to which are added others “lesser known”. The press, he concluded, “can make its contribution”.
#Palazzo #Grazioli #headquarters #foreign #press #Mattarella #extinguish #fires #war #free #journalism #decisive
– 2024-04-08 22:01:58
