Luciano Lama was secretary general of the CGIL trade union at a time when terrorism was a particularly aggressive cancer in Italian society. He had t… - Sergio Cofferati

(On the footballers' protest) You can't idolise a champion on Sunday because he wins your team a match and then forget that maybe the night before he was found drunk and fighting, and then when he and his teammates try to defend the rights of the whole profession, especially the weaker and less wealthy players, they are told they can't because they are rich and spoiled. I would have understood if they had asked for more money, but for the first time they are fighting for rights, not for material reasons: this is something new and should be admired.

Un conto è ripudiare la guerra, perché non la promuovi, non la solleciti e non la giustifichi, ma qui la guerra c'è: la sta facendo Putin. Dobbiamo aiutare gli aggrediti in ogni modo, con gli strumenti di carattere politico e militare. Ed è una storia che conosciamo. Come mai non guardiamo al nostro passato? Ci saremmo mai liberati dai nazisti e dai fascisti senza l'uso delle armi? Chi ci aiutò in quegli anni non lo fece forse anche con gli strumenti militari? Io voglio la pace. Credo nel valore assoluto della pace e della democrazia, ma quando è attaccata va difesa in ogni modo. Se non si distingue tra aggressori e aggrediti, si rischia di compiere scelte errate e ideologicamente contorte.

Even with the murders of Ruffilli, Tarantelli and D'Antona, terrorist madness sought to strike scholars and intellectuals in the service of the state. But this time, Biagi was killed while the confrontation and negotiations in which he was participating in an authoritative capacity were underway. This is a targeted attack on social cohesion policies, but also on the very mechanism by which social dialogue takes place. It is intended to influence the social partners involved in the negotiations. This is another reason why it is important to remain as firm as ever in the fight against terrorism, but also to have the intelligence to quickly restore social dialogue. In its physiological, natural forms: negotiation, the possibility of reaching agreements, or moving on to conflict and struggle if there is disagreement. Terrorism cannot dictate the timing, the merits or the dynamics of the debate. I think it is entirely understandable that the government should confirm its intentions on Article 18. It is equally essential that the trade unions do the same, with a critical assessment of the government's proposals and with struggle and conflict. [...] It is all perfectly normal and natural. There was a confrontation with the government that did not have a positive outcome, there was a breakdown, and the trade unions asserted their reasons with this initiative. Terrorism wants to prevent this natural process. And all those who support this attempt, more or less unconsciously, are making a serious mistake.