Antonio TAJANI, EP President, Pier Carlo PADOAN, Italian Minister of Economy and Finances, and Francesco DE SANCTIS, President of the De Sanctis Foundation, deliver a speech on the occasion of the event “Francesco De Sanctis and the development of modern Europe”, in the EP in Brussels.

Brussels

TAJANI, Antonio (EPP, IT)

speech

PADOAN, Pier Carlo (IT)

Event “Francesco De Sanctis and the development of modern Europe”: extracts from the speech by Antonio TAJANI, EP President

https://api.multimedia.europarl.europa.eu/documents/20125/19813813/I151109Chapters%5BSD-EN%5D.srt

Arrivals and atmosphere shots, geetings and arrival of EP President Antonio TAJANI (5 shots)

European anthem "Ode to Joy" from Beethoven performed by the Festival Puccini directed by maestro Alberto Veronesi (2 shots)

SOUNDBITE (Italian), Antonio TAJANI, EP President, Italy can contribute far more that what we&rsquo;ve done so far to our European Union. We are one of the founding countries, 60 million of inhabitants, net contributors, we speak a wonderful language (...)

SOUNDBITE (Italian), Antonio TAJANI, EP President, I am proud to be Italian, and I am proud also to be President of the European Parliament and to be able to represent all of the members of the EP elected by the European peoples, and that does not preclude me from being proud to being Italian. The love for our homeland is something that we should not forget, it is something that we should teach our children, because without these values we run the risk of being lost and go around the world without an identity.

SOUNDBITE (Italian), Antonio TAJANI, EP President, I think that someone like Francesco De Sanctis should not just be commemorated but he should be held up as an example and he should be studied. His History of Italian Literature, two large volumes, should be re-read, it is worth it of being re-read. Reading from it is a very enriching experience and helps us to understand what lies behind us and what our identity is, what our values are and what the role of a person is and what it means to be Italian and to be European. I am delighted to host this study day dedicated to this key personality from the past, who was a visionary on his thoughts, still relevant today. End of speech and applause.

SOUNDBITE (Italian), Pier Carlo PADOAN, Italian Minister of Economy and Finances, Italy offers a moment for general reflection, a cultural concept to this approach to the European budget, introducing the idea of &lsquo;European public assets&rsquo;. Something that the European Union must pursue because national solutions are not enough.

SOUNDBITE (Italian), Pier Carlo PADOAN, Italian Minister of Economy and Finances, And what public assents can we imagine? If you look around is rather easy, first of all a &lsquo;European culture education&rsquo; and here I go straight to De Sanctis works and teachings: our youngsters are Italians, but they are also Europeans, and President Tajani has also evoked this.

SOUNDBITE (Italian), Francesco De Sanctis, President of the De Sanctis Foundation, De Sanctis was first of all an Italian, as President Tajani recalled. A man of the Risorgimento who fought for independence and unity as a nation. At his time this was just a mere faraway though, he suffered exile and prison outside of Italy. When he came back to Italy he was Minister of education and continued to help building the modern Italy, also thanks to his experiences abroad.

"Vissi d'arte" from Tosca, Giacomo Puccini, extract from the performance by the Festival Puccini directed by maestro Alberto Veronesi.