A guard of honor takes part in a ceremony marking Italy's Liberation Day in Rome, Italy, on April 25, 2023. As Italy celebrated the 78th anniversary of the country's liberation from fascism on Tuesday, Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni called for more unity among Italians. (Photo by Alberto Lingria/Xinhua)
ROME, April 25 (Xinhua) -- As Italy celebrated the 78th anniversary of the country's liberation from fascism on Tuesday, Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni called for more unity among Italians.
Along with Italian President Sergio Mattarella, Meloni participated in a traditional ceremony at the Altar of the Fatherland at Piazza Venezia in Rome.
Mattarella said that the country's liberation from fascism in 1945 was a "crisis in the country that required a decisive moment, a new idea of community following the failure of a previous one." He added the moment gave birth to "a new Italy" that continues to this day.
In an open letter published Tuesday in Corriere della Sera, Italy's most widely circulated newspaper, Meloni called for a "renewed national accord" that would reinforce Italy's role as an "essential stronghold of democracy" on the global stage.
Tuesday also saw a march of more than 100,000 people in Milan, mostly labor groups and independent and opposition political figures.
Liberation Day in Italy marks the day the German forces and the Italian fascist party led by Benito Mussolini were ousted from power, just days before the end of World War II in Europe. ■
Italian President Sergio Mattarella (1st R) shakes hands with Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni during a ceremony marking Italy's Liberation Day in Rome, Italy, on April 25, 2023. As Italy celebrated the 78th anniversary of the country's liberation from fascism on Tuesday, Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni called for more unity among Italians. (Photo by Alberto Lingria/Xinhua)
Italian President Sergio Mattarella (C) attends a ceremony marking Italy's Liberation Day in Rome, Italy, on April 25, 2023. As Italy celebrated the 78th anniversary of the country's liberation from fascism on Tuesday, Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni called for more unity among Italians. (Photo by Alberto Lingria/Xinhua)
