Paolo Borsellino, 33 years since the Via D'Amelio massacre. The words of Mattarella and Meloni

Thirty-three years after the Mafia attack in Palermo that led to the death of Judge Paolo Borsellino and the five agents of his escort, President of the Republic Mattarella speaks of an 'indelible mark on Italy'. "On this day of remembrance, the emotion for the lives cruelly broken and the closeness to the victims' families remain as intense as thirty-three years ago," the Head of State's note continues, "Borsellino did not back down from his work after the Capaci massacre. He kept going. Honouring his memory means following his lesson of dignity and legality and ensuring that his message reaches the younger generations'.

Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni also spoke on the anniversary: 'A man who sacrificed his life for truth, for justice, for Italy,' she wrote on X, emphasising how this memory will be carried on every day. "His example lives on in those who every day, often far from the spotlight, fight for a fairer Italy, free from mafias, from malfeasance, from fear. There is no freedom without justice, no state without legality. To the many magistrates, law enforcement officers and servants of the State who have chosen courage, even at the cost of their lives, we owe gratitude and respect. They have traced a path that cannot be forgotten. That witness still stands firm. And we will carry it forward every day, with respect, with determination, with love for our nation. In memory of Paolo Borsellino and those who never bowed their heads,' Meloni concludes.

"33 years ago in Via D'Amelio, the Mafia struck at the heart of the State, breaking the life of Paolo Borsellino and the agents of his escort. Emanuela Loi, Agostino Catalano, Vincenzo Li Muli, Walter Eddie Cosina and Claudio Traina'. This was stated by Senate President Ignazio La Russa. "Via D'Amelio still remains an open wound in the collective memory but it also remains a symbolic place where the will to never give up in the face of crime and indifference is renewed. The sacrifice of Paolo Borsellino and his agents continues to question us, asking for coherence, courage and responsibility because memory cannot be a ritual gesture but must translate every day into concrete commitment for a Nation that is more just, free and faithful to the values of legality'.

"Thirty-three years after the terrible massacre in Via D'Amelio, my heartfelt thoughts go out to Judge Paolo Borsellino and the agents of the escort who were killed: Emanuela Loi, Agostino Catalano, Vincenzo Li Muli, Walter Eddie Cosina, Claudio Traina. On this day I extend my heartfelt sympathy to their families. Judge Borsellino's example of courage and determination in the fight against the Mafia represents a precious legacy to treasure, which continues to inspire every day those who are committed to the defence of legality. As a tribute to his memory and his sacrifice, at the Chamber of Deputies, we have displayed the bag that the magistrate carried on the day of the massacre. At the heart of the institution, that bag is a concrete symbol of his memory that lives on in the values that Borsellino represented'. This was stated by the President of the Chamber of Deputies, Lorenzo Fontana.