Statement on the Modena massacre

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What happened today in Modena hurts not only those involved, but also touches the very heart of our community, that sense of serenity, trust, and security that accompanies our daily lives and that we too often take for granted.

In a matter of moments, an ordinary day has transformed into fear, anguish, and pain. And tonight, our thoughts must go, first and foremost, to those injured, their families, those who experienced moments of true terror, and those who will carry the memory of these difficult hours within them. Because, ultimately, I believe a true city is recognized above all in moments when it can rally around those who suffer and transform someone's pain into a collective responsibility.

And yet, amid all this horror, there is something positive that happened today: the moment in which the police, paramedics, firefighters, rescue workers, and so many women and men intervened with courage, clarity, humanity, and extraordinary sense of national responsibility. We owe them gratitude, respect, and appreciation, because in the most difficult hours they represented a cornerstone for an entire community.

Tonight, Modena is wounded, but not broken. It is a community gathered in silence, gathered in a collective embrace, and, precisely in the strength of its unity, found the courage to look forward with hope and great courage.

Faced with the tragedy of a community, politics has a moral imperative to lower its flags and rediscover its noblest and highest mission, which is to serve the common good. Exploiting pain for ideological gain betrays the dignity of institutions. Today is a time for silence, respect, and unity.