When peace is threatened, it must be defended. The invader must be stopped. In Ukraine, there is a violent, destructive invasion of a defenceless pop… - Sergio Cofferati

(On the Renzi government) I think it is a centre-left government that produces policies that are unacceptable to some of its voters.

La pace quando viene messa in discussione, va conquistata. Bisogna fermare l'invasore. In Ucraina c‘è una invasione violenta, distruttiva di una popolazione inerme. Perciò bisogna utilizzare tutti gli strumenti che la situazione sollecita: azione diplomatica, sanzioni di carattere economico e finanziario contro l'invasore. Al tempo stesso aiutare gli aggrediti con misure di soccorso e rafforzando la loro capacità di difendersi, quindi anche con l'aiuto militare, l'invio di armi.

Interviewer: The CGIL and its secretary are accused of having political motives. Of wanting to ally themselves with judges and the ‘girotondi’ (protesters). Cofferati: These are unacceptable accusations. I contest choices that I believe to be wrong on their merits; they continue to say that the CGIL is not doing its job as a trade union, that we have a political strategy. The right to criticise cannot be demonised. And there is a misguided underestimation of the role of social representative organisations. The government has a duty to pursue its objectives, but it must know that if part of the social representation does not share these objectives, a break and then conflict are inevitable. I would never dream of contesting their legitimacy to govern, but they cannot contest the legitimacy of my right to oppose them with the rules of democracy and a practice established over many decades.