“We are not a fan club. We are here for our future” Of all the messages left on the large blue panel outside the conference room of the Cds Hotel in Cinisi, Sicily, this was the most significant among the participants “Decent Europe”, a political training school for people under 35 from all over Europe.. Not far from here, in 1992, Italy suffered the losses of Paolo Borsellino and Giovanni Falcone, anti-Mafia judges, brutally murdered in two attacks orchestrated by Cosa Nostra, the plague of Sicily. Their deaths left an indelible mark. However, their sacrifice was not in vain.
This week, thirty years later, more than 500 pro-EU young people took up the baton.: The search for truth is a difficult but necessary task. Now more than ever, in a society where misinformation spreads quickly. The event, led by former Prime Minister Matteo Renzi and his Italia Viva party, had a clear significance in view of the 2024 European elections, creating space for pragmatic reflection on the future of democracy. With growing abstention from voting and declining trust in institutions, the EU as an integration project cannot be taken for granted, especially today.
A few days ago Renew Europe, our liberal family in the European Parliament, called on pro-European parties to resist populism and extremism. Inspired by European values, each session of the school allowed participants to share ideas, dreams and problems. “Will we ever be able to define ourselves as Europeans, putting aside our national differences?” “How can we together prepare the EU for future challenges?” Even if these and other questions remain unanswered, the debate among young Europeans tells a compelling story of commitment to the sustainability of the European dream. Each of us deserves a better Europe. Likewise, Europe deserves renewal (ed.): renewal.
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