ROME – President Sergio Mattarella has marked the 80th anniversary of the Italian Republic by recalling the historic referendum in 1946 that abolished the monarchy and set Italy on a new democratic path after the Second World War.
In a message to Italy’s prefects ahead of Republic Day celebrations on 2 June, Mattarella said the vote of June 1946 represented a defining moment in the country’s history. “On June 2, 1946, the vote of the Italian people marked – after twenty years of Fascism, the tragedy of war, and the struggle for Liberation – a turning point in the country’s history,” the president wrote.
The referendum, held on 2 and 3 June 1946, saw Italians vote in favour of a republic, ending the monarchy and paving the way for the drafting of the Constitution. Mattarella said the result laid the foundations for “a new civil pact, inspired by the principles of freedom, equality, and solidarity, driven by an intense thirst for peace”.
Addressing prefects and local representatives across the country, the president extended his greetings “to all those — men and women — who today celebrate the eightieth anniversary of the Republic”.
Citizens played a central role
He described the birth of the Republic as the result of a democratic process in which citizens played the central role. “The Republic was born from a concerted and sincere exercise in democracy,” he said.
Mattarella noted that Italians turned out in large numbers to choose both the future form of the state and the members of the Constituent Assembly, which would draft the nation’s new Constitution. He praised the “extraordinary participation and composure” shown by voters at a pivotal moment in the country’s history.
The president also highlighted the significance of women’s participation in the vote. For the first time in Italian history, women were called to the polls in national consultations, having already voted in local elections earlier that year.
Strengthening of democracy is ongoing
Looking to the present, Mattarella said the task of strengthening democracy remains ongoing. “Strengthening the structure of trust between institutions and citizens, reviving in each the most authentic sense of democratic participation, is a persistent task in the life of the Republic,” he wrote.
The head of state concluded by emphasising the importance of public service and civic responsibility, stating that “the values of the Constitution live in the actions of those who place themselves at the service of the community”.
Republic Day, celebrated annually on 2 June, commemorates the referendum that transformed Italy from a kingdom into a republic and remains one of the country’s most important national holidays.
