Mattarella: ‘We must not view young people with indifference or petty contempt’

‘Many young people would be happy to return if they were offered a career path and way of life that would enable them to fulfil their potential. Society cannot treat young people with indifference or, worse still, with petty disparagement. This is a major social issue. A priority that must involve relevant institutions and all sectors of society.” These were the words of the President of the Republic, Sergio Mattarella, speaking at the ceremony to present the insignia of Knight of the Order ‘Al Merito del Lavoro’ to the Knights of Labour appointed on 2 June 2026.

“Young people’s prospects are, as is evident, crucial in shaping the future of our society, our economy and our ways of life. Our current concerns must be reflected in our commitment to shaping the future,” he added. “In this regard, the negative balance of youth migration represents a serious burden for our country,” he explained, referring to the words of the Federation’s president, Ugo Salerno, “whom I would like to thank: we must create the conditions to make returning home an attractive prospect for young people.” According to Mattarella, “many would gladly return if they were offered a path to work and a way of life that would allow them to fulfil their potential”.

‘Senseless wars of aggression, the undermining of international law, protectionist barriers, neo-imperialist policies, insecurity on maritime routes, the resulting rises in energy prices which are fuelling inflation, and neo-monopolistic claims: all these reckless phenomena,” said the Head of State, “are having seriously negative effects on value chains and on the freedom of trade, and are affecting the very freedoms that underpin our way of life, with so-called tycoons, who show no regard for the rules of the community, be they national or supranational, and who make absurd and unacceptable demands in key sectors of international life’.

According to the Head of State, there is a need for ‘an appropriate and engaging dialogue between generations, at a time when demographic imbalance and rapid technological change are making this partnership more challenging. The values of work, after all, form the very foundation of the Republic, just as do the values of education and learning. The right to work and the right to education must necessarily go hand in hand. It is through cohesion that a society grows best and most effectively.’