Toast by the President of the Italian Republic   Sergio Mattarella  at the State Dinner in honour of Their Majesties, the King and the Queen of Spain

Your Majesty, Authorities,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

I once again wish to extend the warmest welcome to Their Majesties.

I am very pleased to welcome you on this State Visit, along with the delegation that is accompanying you, a few years after my visit to Spain, of which I have wonderful memories, given the exquisite hospitality offered to me and, above all, given that I was able to realise first-hand how vast and deep our ties are.

Ties that descend from history, from the Latin root our cultures share, from the extraordinary extent of our relationships.

The story we share, Your Majesty, is a path marked by intense bilateral relations between our peoples, which go back to the prehistory, when – during the megalithic era – trade was thriving between the Mediterranean coast of Spain, the Balearic Islands and Sardinia, while a common artistic language was developing.

Evidence of the richness of this extremely ancient relation is now to be seen in the imposing statue of the “Boxer” of Mont’ePrama – found in Cabras and dating back to the Nuragic civilisation – showcased for a few months at Madrid’s National Archaeological Museum.

The intense dialogue between our countries’ civil societies, institutions and economies is now proven by the growth and integration of trade relations and investments; suffice it to think about the intensity of the existing air transport networks, or the precious dialogue offered by events such as the Italy-Spain Dialogue Forum and the Parliamentary Forum, which has recently duly revived the issue of the Union for the Mediterranean.

Tomorrow, in Naples – whose baroque heart houses a fundamental part of our common affairs – we will witness together some evidence of said ties and of the feelings of fraternal friendship that Italy has for your country, as well as the high esteem you are held in, as testified by the Honorary Doctorate that the University “Federico II” has decided to award you.

An act that also highlights the tradition of cooperation that exists between the universities of our countries.

Over 4,000 Italian lecturers and researchers work in Spain, and we can claim the largest incoming student mobility flows, thanks to the Erasmus programme.

Let us not forget that young Spaniards and Italians are drivers of ideas, development and innovation.

Your Majesty,

Spain and Italy are united by belonging to a geographical and cultural horizon which is both European and Mediterranean.

Our geographical position generates similar commitments and conditions, shared responsibilities and opportunities to be seized, together.

This Euro-Mediterranean area of encounters and exchange, which has imbued human civilisation, is now at the centre of a set of political, migratory and environmental challenges, all deeply interwoven.

We are living in a fragile area, exposed more than others to the disastrous effects of climate change.

Proof of this is the tragic flood that, on 29 October, struck the Valencian Community, to whom I renew our active solidarity.

Italy is well aware of how devastating extreme weather events caused by climate change can be.

This is undoubtedly one of the most crucial situations our two countries can face together.

Madrid and Rome are at the forefront in the relations with the African continent and it is their duty to know how to set the terms for the dialogue that the European Union must pursue with the countries of this region of the global south.

Spain and Italy, in the strategic relation that unites them, share the aim to preserve the international order and take the required steps to reform it.

We are united by a common vision of the conflicts that are setting ablaze the lands at Europe’s borders – in Ukraine and in Palestine.

The dramatic events in the Middle East are a source of great concern and urgently call for a solution that involves all the parties.

Conflicts, instability, climate crises, together with strong inequalities, foster the growing migratory flows that are still a challenge for everyone. The deepest values underpinning our civilisation and the life of our communities come into play.

Seneca the Elder, the great philosopher born in Cordova – the largest city of Roman Spain – who lived in Rome and became a symbol of our common civilisation, once wrote “Calamitasvirtutis occasio est” (calamity is virtue’s opportunity).

He reminds us that seriously difficult moments test the worth of people and peoples.

The current crises are an opportunity for showing there is willingness to have common purposes, vision, and initiatives.

United, Spain and Italy can favour the fundamental renewal and strengthening of the European Union, an absolute must to avoid becoming irrelevant and to make sure that the European civilisation can give a prominent contribution to the world.

The shared commitment developed to promote and implement the Next Generation EU programme proves what we can do together.

Europe is an inalienable project.

The current fragmentation and the cracks showing up in the international community, the attack against the principles of freedom, peace and justice make it particularly urgent to give the utmost strength to the European Union, for it to be an element of stability and prosperity, capable of weighing on the current global scenario with cohesive and credible foreign and defence policies.

The European Union cannot give up its historical task of reviving the binding principle of the peaceful settlement of disputes: only by cooperating will mankind be able to face the future.

Your Majesty,

it is with such feelings that I toast to the friendship between our countries as I extend to Their Majesties and to all the people of Spain the best wishes for wellbeing and prosperity.