The 8th May 2016, in view of the Europe Day 2016, the European Movement in Italy (CIME) and the Young European Federalists mobilized their forces together in Rome for an event whose purpose was to remind everyone that today the ‘European ideal’ is not dead.
“The European Federation is not just a beautiful ideal but a goal that we have to realize now: it does not represent an invitation to dream but to act. In order to resume the path marked out by Altiero Spinelli and the other Founding Fathers, we have proposed to start a popular action with the purpose to fight together the breaking up of the EU and inside the EU ” said Pier Virgilio Dastoli, President of the European Movement Italy

On the eve of the celebration of the Europe day 2016, the Italian Chamber of Deputies decided to dedicate its programme called “Montecitorio a porte aperte” to the themes of the European integration. During the first part of the morning, the event was held within the beautiful and prestigious venue of the plenary hall of the Italian Parliament.

The public demonstration was attended by about 800 young people, coming from both the European Federalist Organisations and the Italian schools that took part in the school contest organized every year by the European Movement in Italy and called “Becoming European Citizens”.

Among the speakers there were Laura Boldrini, President of Italian Chamber of Deputies, Simone Fissolo, President of JEF Italy, Sandro Gozi , Italian Undersecretary for European Affairs, David Sassoli, VP of the European Parliament, Frans Timmermans, Vice President of the European

Commission, Stefania Giannini, Minister of Education  and, Pier Virgilio Dastoli, President of CIME.

The Italian national public TV channel (RAI) provided a live broadcast of the event.

The speakers and the 800 participants went afterwards for a symbolic march along the streets of the capital, from the Italian Parliament to the Capitoline Hill, where the Treaties of Rome were signed.

The day ended with the awards ceremony of the school contest “Becoming European Citizens” in the frame of the historic room called  “Sala degli Orazi e dei Curiazi”.

The aim of the contest was to encourage young people to think about both the successes and the problems of the current European Union, in particular the immigration issue.

The ceremony was moderated by the Deputy General Secretary of CIME, Stefano Milia