On the horizon appeared “The new Doctor Strangelove“, with the demand that we must”love the bomb“This is a clear warning that has been launched by Sergio Mattarella in his speech to Bundestag. President of the Republic, who spoke in the German Parliament for National day of mourningput emphasis on danger of nuclear escalation. “We are in this Solemn Room to remember those who died, the victims of war and violence. Fallen into the abyss of history, into traps set by other people. The life of the nation, state, nationality, is full of stumbles and tragedies. Sometimes because of individual choice, more often because of other people’s intention,” said the Head of State.
“The atomic bomb could open Pandora’s box”
Many calls for peace – “This is not a fixed goal, but the fruit of incessant efforts” – from tenants Quirinaleaware of speaking before the Parliament of a country that invests heavily in defense. Therefore Mattarella decided to quote Stanley Kubrick’s unforgettable film in atomic bomb. “We heard statements from other countries about the possibility of rethinking the rejection nuclear weapons. Fear then arises that we are entering a high-risk path, starting to open a new path Pandora’s box. All this is facilitated by the spread, at the international level, of a strong and unequivocal language claiming supremacy,” said the head of state. “Total war does not require the defeat, the surrender of the enemy, but its annihilation. Increased cruelty. With the times atomone act can erase a city and the world’s innocence,” he added.
“This shouldn’t happen again, but now it happened again”
Later Mattarella recalled: “The nuclear test ban treaty (1997) has not been ratified ChinaIndia, Pakistan, North KoreaIsrael, Iran, Egypt, United States of Americawhile Russia withdrew from the treaty in 2023. Compliance with its provisions to date does not mitigate possible threats. This will only cause suffering and division so that the treaties are annulled, the institutions created to correct violence which in our national society is considered a crime and is heavily censored, while some claim that it is legal in international relations. This must be reiterated emphatically: the sovereignty of a nation is not expressed in the right to carry war to neighbors. A country’s desire for success does not necessarily result in injustice. Aggressive war is a crime.” Then the President of the Republic asked himself: “How many more deaths will it take before we stop looking war as an instrument for resolving disputes between states, who use it for a deliberate desire to dominate other societies? No more. Never again. This is a phrase adopted by the international community to condemn Jewish disaster. TO No more contrast wider: Again. We are watching this. From new war. From new racism. Again a big gap. Violence again. Attack again.”
“Hitting civilians cannot go unpunished”
The head of state underscored how war always aims “to project its dark shadow on humanity. The 20th century turned the tragedy of armies into the tragedy of society. In the villages of Europe and in cities destroyed by natural disasters.” bombingin the devastated countryside, millions of civilians were targeted. Deportationgenocide, has become a feature Second World War. Since then, the face of war has not only been reflected on the faces of the fighters, but also on the helpless children, mothers and elderly people. This is what happened today in Kiev, in Gaza”. And in this regard the president stated: “No extraordinary circumstances can justify the unjustifiable: bombing in residential areascynical use of starvation against the population, sexual violence. The collapse of the distinction between civilians and combatants is at the heart of humanitarian principles.” Mattarella recalled that “after the war, the birth of the UN and the Geneva Conventions sparked hopes for peace based on law, reaffirming a basic principle: civilians must be protected in all circumstances. More news, from Biafra to the Balkans, from Rwanda to Syria, to Sudan, Ukraine and Gaza Strip shows us that war continues to impact primarily those who are not combatants. Today, according to the UN, more than 90% of conflict victims are civilians.” And this, Mattarella underlined, “cannot go unpunished.”
“Peace is not resignation”
Mattarella then spoke about peace. In recent decades in the international community many actors – and among them the European Union – have stubbornly and not without difficulty, sought peace, fostered by respect for human rights. Because, if you want peace, you have to build and preserve it. Cooperation between countries, institutions and communities is the only action that can protect human dignity. These are multilateral institutions such as United NationsInternational Criminal Court, peacekeeping missions, humanitarian agencies to contribute to the demanding and compelling effort of building a global conscience.”
Call to Berlin
Hence the recall to the Bundestag. “The German Basic Law and the Italian Constitution reject war, so they learned valuable lessons from the tragedy Second World War. We are united on days of remembrance and mourning, because remembering our shared history is an indispensable exercise in our endless aspirations for peace”. This is why, according to the president, “everything depends on our people, who were united in the suffering of the responsibilities of the last world war and, today, are able to unite in their outlook towards a better future. Up to you Federal Republic of Germanyit is up to the Italian Republic – like everyone else in the international community – to challenge the legal force of the alleged right to coerce.”
