On the fourth birthday of DiEM25, the Roman local DiEM25 groups and the Italian National Collective organised the event “Manifestiamo”, held in Rome on February 9, at the Villetta Garbatella Social Club.
The event was an opportunity to present the Progressive Manifesto for Italy, a work in progress and a first step toward building DiEM25’s Progressive Agenda for Italy. Above all, it was an opportunity to discuss the issues and priorities for Italy, bearing in mind today’s international scenario of social, environmental and democratic emergencies.
The speakers that took part were personalities from the world of associations, trade unions and universities. Our intention was to join their claims – that are normally on separate fronts – through the red thread of a progressive and ecological vision.
After a brief presentation of the Manifesto by Antonella Trocino and Stefania Romano (members of DiEM25 Italia), there was a speech by Professor Paolo Pileri (Polytechnic of Milan) who confirmed that land consumption is the main reason for hydrogeological failure, among Italy’s first environmental emergencies. On this matter, he is among the authors – together with the Forum of movements to save the landscape – of a bill that Parliament still hasn’t debated or implemented.
Davide Di Laurea (representative of the trade Union USB Public Employment) spoke of precarious jobs and negative flexibility in the public administration and, in particular, in research institutions and universities, two domains that should drive the transition of the Italian economy. Instead they are being crushed by austerity policies and the corporatisation of the education and research system.
Lorenzo Battisti (CGT) outlined the reasons for the French strikes which have much more support in public opinion (but are ignored by the Italian mass media) who understood that Macron’s mission is to break the French welfare system.
Roberto Giordano, regional representative of the largest trade union (FIOM – CGIL), admitted not only that all the trade unions struggled to represent precarious and working-poor people, but admitted that it was a big mistake to have accepted – within only two hours of strike action – the 2011 pension reform that the ECB and Europe had asked Italy (Fornero Reform).
The Fornero Reform was a reform similar to the one that in France they are fighting strenuously, which became one of the flags of Salvini, who when he was in government partially reformed it, of what should have been a battle fought by the Left.
A representative of the International Women’s House (an historical common good that in Rome is a flag of feminism and inclusion), Marilena Grassadonia (Activist Rainbow Families) and Simona Maggiorelli (Left) closed the event, talking of gender equality, LGBTQIA+ battles and the right to beauty and to sociability that should not be considered minor rights, given that they are fundamental components for a just society capable of dealing with hatred.
Alessandro Giannì from Greenpeace sent in a video, which was played at the beginning of the event. He was travelling when the event was taking place so could not connect via internet link. Marta Fana, economist, was in Spain at the time and also couldn’t connect.
Despite these two setbacks, it was a content-packed afternoon, which ended with a toast to celebrate DiEM25’s birthday.

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