Italian President Giorgio
Napolitano on Monday told 3,000 students that now is not the
time to moan, but to be bold.
"New, courageous policies for growth and employment" are
needed if Italy and Europe are to emerge from a deep economic
and social crisis, the president said in a ceremony marking the
beginning of the new school year.
"Today not only Italy, but the whole of Europe, is
grappling with a profound crisis," he said.
"Clearly, this is not the time to huddle within our old
national enclosures and moan about the EU, but to come together
in a common effort," he said.
Starting in the 1950s, Europe chose to stand for pluralism
and human rights, Napolitano said.
"This is the civilized heritage Europe has decided to
defend against a new wave of fanaticism, terror and barbarism
that has unfortunately been gathering steam," the president
added.
The way to uphold Italy's Constitution is to "reject every
kind of violence, abuse, and form of corruption," Napolitano
concluded.
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