“Nothing, it went badly. Unfortunately, the United States of Europe list was left out of the European Parliament for a very short time. I’m very sorry and I would like to embrace the volunteers who dedicated themselves to this idea: you were wonderful. The free nature of your service expands my heart. I would like to hug one by one the thousands of people who wrote my name on the ballot: I am truly honored to represent the hope of so many people even if I would have preferred a few more votes on the list”. Matteo Renzi writes it on social media (EUROPEAN ELECTIONS, FOLLOW THE COUNTING IN REAL TIME – ALL THE RESULTS IN ITALY).
“I am grateful to Emma Bonino and to all the political leaders who believed in us. But politics is a great school of life even when you don’t win. And therefore I can’t be sad, dear friends. Because I am very convinced that it was right to do this proposal, at this moment: today’s crazy world needs the United States of Europe and it was nice to affirm the reasons for a dream that goes against the grain. We fought, we expressed ideas in which we believe, we got involved. We didn’t do the quorum, what a shame. But today we will not stop fighting for this idea of Europe, the only one in which Italy can play a leading role. We will find ways to insist on the cultural and values battle for a different Europe”, he assures the leader of Italia viva.
“The absurd breakdown of the Third Pole weighs on the Italian result: we could have had seven reformist European parliamentarians together. And instead there are zero. What madness. But the citizens have chosen and the citizens are always right: I hope the elected officials honor their commitment to Strasbourg giving them the most sincere compliments. We, from the Italian Parliament and from our roles of responsibility, will continue to do our part with the smile of those who know that it is better to risk and lose an election than to get by and lose a challenge. That’s how we are – we men in the arena, Roosevelt would have said – and we will never change, for anything in the world. Long live the United States of Europe! Good night, dear friends”, concludes Renzi.
