By dpa TIN24 EDITOR AMIT ALHAT
November 16, 2025, 15:38
Berlin: Italian President Sergio Mattarella delivered a powerful address to the German parliament on Sunday, emphasizing the vital role of multilateralism in averting future conflicts. Speaking at a solemn ceremony honoring victims of war, with flags at half-mast outside Berlin’s Reichstag, Mattarella urged stronger international cooperation amid rising global tensions.
“Multilateralism is not bureaucracy, as autocratic rulers claim,” Mattarella stated during Germany’s national day of mourning, known as Volkstrauertag. “It is the tool that defuses conflicts and makes peaceful solutions possible. It is the language of shared responsibility.”
Highlighting Europe’s post-war achievements, the Italian leader praised the continent’s unification efforts. “We have succeeded in creating a region of peace, freedom, prosperity, and respect for human rights that is unparalleled in history,” he said. Mattarella credited the European Union, born from the ashes of devastation, with harnessing multilateralism to foster lasting peace.
He warned against forces seeking to undermine this progress: “Let us not allow the European dream, our union, to be torn apart today by imitators of dark times—times that left behind suffering, misery, and despair.” Referencing the post-Holocaust vow of “never again,” Mattarella lamented its erosion: “This is what we are experiencing right now: war again, racism again, great inequality again, violence again, aggression again.”
Mattarella’s remarks came during a two-day visit to Germany, where he was welcomed by President Frank-Walter Steinmeier on Saturday. Prior to the event, Bundestag President Julia Klöckner stressed that remembrance must inspire action. “Those who honor the victims of war and violence, those who know where hatred and blindness lead, must not remain silent when peace and democracy are threatened anywhere in the world,” she said.
Klöckner described Volkstrauertag as “a loud warning to us today,” especially as the horrors of the two world wars fade into history while war persists in Europe.
Following Mattarella’s speech, Steinmeier was set to deliver the traditional address, a custom upheld by German presidents since 1952.
This year’s commemoration explicitly honors victims of violence and war globally, including those from the world wars, Nazi persecutions based on nationality, ethnicity, disability, and—for the first time—gender or sexual identity, as well as fallen police officers.
In a separate wreath-laying at Berlin’s Defence Ministry, Bundeswehr Chief General Inspector Carsten Breuer echoed the call for peace. “War and violence must be prevented by all means,” he declared, paying tribute to soldiers who died in service. “This day reminds us never to forget that service to our country can cost lives.”
As geopolitical challenges mount, Mattarella’s message underscores the enduring need for unity in a divided world.
Author: The India News 24
TIN24 (The India News 24) The India News 24 (TIN24) is a Mumbai-based news Digital Media focusing on breaking news, local and regional issues in India, with content primarily in Marathi. It was established with an X (Twitter) presence since July 2022. Owner & News Editor: Amit Alhat Education: BA in Mass Communication Journalism (Graduate) Experience: 12 years in journalism Platforms: - Website: https://theindianews24.in - X (Twitter): https://x.com/the_indianews24 - YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@theindianews247 - Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theindianews_24
