“We are the street”, Cecilia Strada in Bergamo: “I dream of a Europe of social justice. In my backpack I will carry everyone’s rights”

Bergamo. “We are the road”. The same one that, on the afternoon of Saturday 27 April, brought Cecilia Strada in Bergamo. Gino Strada’s daughter, a woman symbol of Emergency and in his first political experience, he chose the Lombardy capital to launch his candidacy in the European elections. And she chooses the Circolino della Malpensata, the place that was the launch pad, before her, of Elly Schlein, who only a year ago chose this place to support his primary match, entirely within the party, for the national secretariat. To welcome her, together with many representatives of the PD territory, were also many Dem militants and many representatives of associations and volunteers. Together with them Elena Carnevali, candidate for mayor of the centre-left who welcomed the leader, albeit independent, of the national secretary’s team, the regional deputy secretary Matteo Rossithe councilor of the Municipality of Bergamo Marzia Marchesi, the regional councilor Davide Casatithe provincial secretary Gabriele Giudici, his deputy Alessandra Bertolotti, the city one Alessandro De Bernardis and the president of the town meeting Marco Previtali.

Strada arrives in Bergamo, close to the administrative elections and with an outgoing mayor, Gori, a candidate like her in the ranks of the Democratic Party: “Everywhere I go I build bridges, with the intention of building bonds, even with those who think differently from me, to defend everyone’s rights. That’s why I’m here today too. The great issues that belong to today are not only local or national, a large part of our life is decided in Europe and we choose who should represent us. From Bergamo to Brussels round trip. What pushed me to run was the desire to do my part and take care of people’s problems. I come from a different experience, it’s true. But it’s not that different if you think in terms of principle. The objective, in fact, is the same: that of put yourself at the service of people and do it before poor people don’t have anything to eat, before people die at sea. The task of politics is to intervene in time.”

Before arriving in Bergamo, visited the Treviglio agricultural fair: “Agriculture is a crucial part of the Italian economy, as is the ecological transition. The next few years will be the decisive ones not only for today, but for tomorrow. The real problem is that the its price must not be paid by citizens. It’s about understanding how farmers, especially the smaller ones, can be supported, how they can really benefit from the change. This is a European challenge, for which the rights of people and those of workers must be protected, without choosing between the future and the interests of individuals”.

“I dream of a Europe of social justice. The lesson of the pandemic teaches us that Europe can and must do a lot for its citizens. That model and at the same time the commitment to reduce inequalities would lead us to have a happy Europe. Here’s how I imagine it. A place where it’s nice to live.” And on the candidacy, even as an independent, but which sees her as the head of the list, she replies: “I am very proud and I am grateful for the role given to me. I live this experience as an adventure, where I am a backpack in which to insert all the citizens’ requests, all their needs, in addition to the needs of the many worlds that belong to people. I will do it by working together with the party, together.”

AND he explains about Carnevali’s candidacy: “The mayors are the voice of the territory, those who, more than anyone else, experience direct contact with the citizens. They represent an important and fundamental hub for the political world. To Carnevali, as to myself, I advise you to listen and summarize. Doing politics means not thinking about the individual, but putting yourself at the service of the community. Think and act for the common good, for the good of all.”

“The first thing we must say to Cecilia is thank you: for what you are and what you do, for Gino, for making us even more aware and endowed with spirit. Thank you because you allow us to have a different voice than many others that crowd the national scene. in your backpack, in your pannier – like this Carnivals –. Today we entrust to you the European search and rescue mission in the Mediterranean: a real need, in a context in which many countries shirk, the same ones that impose rules on us, but which do not help the people most in difficulty, in particular the women and children. In ten years of Parliament, I also worked in the commission dedicated to Reception Centres, where I had the opportunity to best understand what were the most effective experiences for managing the phenomenon and, at the same time, the worst ones.

I tell Cecilia what Bergamo is: a welcoming city, among the first to join the Stra. In 2021 we welcomed 41 Afghan citizens and 75, in 2022, those fleeing from Ukraine, as well as 494 unaccompanied foreign minors in 2023 alone. This is Bergamo, it is our city and the credit goes to everyone. My attention goes to all citizens, but I have particular attention for them. These people come to us and don’t always stop. We have the duty to make Bergamo a welcoming city, not only because it is important for an issue linked to rights, but also to try to provide an answer to the problem of the demographic curve. And to make Bergamo a more attractive city, the city of the future. I am sure that Cecilia, together with Giorgio (Gori ed.), will bring the voice of the territories to Europe.

As Roberto Cremaschi: “I’m voting for the Democratic Party again because Cecilia Strada is there. A mention of the arms race and expenditure. Today we score 42% more in Germany, 30% in Italy. And I remember that in 2023 NATO spent over 64 billion euros on this chapter, 270% more than it did in the decade”.