Europe takes the stage at the Leopolda
On Saturday 3 October, Sandro Gozi, EDP Secretary General and MEP, took the main stage of the Leopolda, the annual convention of Italy's reformist area founded by Matteo Renzi, together with Enrico Borghi, President of the Institute of European Democrats (IED). In front of several thousand people, among them the more than 300 students of the “Meritare l'Europa” training school, the two answered questions in a session moderated by Roberta Iannuzzi, journalist at Radio Radicale.
Starting from the student protests in France, Gozi acknowledged that the young people are raising legitimate questions about schools and a social ladder that no longer works. He warned, however, that violent infiltrators are drowning out their voices and rolling out the red carpet for Marine Le Pen. He then turned to the young people fighting for democracy on Europe's doorstep: “As European Democrats, we are always where there is a protest we consider legitimate. That is why we stand in the front line with the Serbian students, who in a few weeks will present their own list to win against the authoritarian President Vučić, and with the young Albanians. We stand with the young people of Saint-Denis, Novi Sad and Tirana.”
On housing, an issue too often left to the radical fringes, Gozi said: “We need a Europe that shows it listens to people's problems and concerns, and that is there where the problems are concrete.” He outlined the plan being drawn up in Brussels: an initial half a billion euros for social housing, housing as a priority in the next EU budget, public guarantees so that young couples can get a mortgage without relying on their parents, and simpler procedures to build social housing.
Borghi recalled that Europe was born to guarantee peace, democracy and the rights of minorities, and that antisemitism is today a litmus test of whether Europe has kept its soul. He called on the centre-left to take up “the flag of a renewed, modern Europeanism” and was unequivocal on Ukraine: “If we stand for the rights of minorities and the protection of the weakest, if we want to stop the bully of the day from crushing the most fragile under his heel, then we can only stand, without ifs or buts, on the side of the Ukrainian people, today and tomorrow.”
Questions from the audience came from young people from across Europe. In reply, Gozi argued that “we will never have the United States of Europe, a truly democratic Europe, if politics does not break out of national borders”, and called for a hard core of countries to accelerate European defence, with Italy inside it: “In 2027 we need a federalist Italy, not a sovereigntist, nationalist Italy that harms itself and harms Europe.” Borghi also presented Democrats Review, the new platform for debate promoted by the IED and the EDP, and invited the young people to contribute to it.
Questions from across Europe
On the sidelines of the convention, Gozi and Borghi sat down informally with some thirty international students of the “Meritare l'Europa” school, coming from EDP member parties and partner organisations. Their questions ranged from the future of the Union to the role of the European Democratic Party and the international situation, in a frank and open exchange.
At the EDP stand, one of the busiest of the three days, the team handed out gadgets and information flyers and explained to visitors what the European Democratic Party does and the role it plays in European politics.
Ithaca, the last Leopolda before the elections
Now in its fourteenth edition, the convention took place in Florence from 2 to 4 October under the theme “Itaca” (Ithaca), the last edition before Italy's next general election. Renzi presented it as a forum to discuss building a “reformist home” and to engage with representatives of other political areas, with a format designed to give the audience more room to take part. The programme opened on Friday with a debate on security between Renzi and Salerno mayor Vincenzo De Luca, and closed on Sunday with Renzi's speech, preceded by Stefano Bonaccini.
