The Liberation day is celebrated in Italy and in Portugal, but beyond the national experiences there are fundamental lessons for Europe
Opinion
The 25th of April is a remarkable day for Europe: Italy and Portugal celebrate the liberation day. In different moment of history, both countries experienced a return to democracy and freedom after decades of authoritarianism. In 1945 in Italy the Nazi occupation army surrendered and left Northern Italy (Turin and Milan) after a general partisan insurrection by the Italian resistance movement. At the same time the puppet fascist regime dissolved and Benito Mussolini tried to escape. Italy was not yet ready to gain full democracy, but that day a new era started. The 25th of April, 1945, became as symbolic of the Liberation of Italy. Italy's Liberation day is symbolic for Europe. The second world war led to the end of the non-democratic powers across the continent, and the Italian case demonstrated that regimes were over and democracy was spreading, even if at great cost. But democracy was not everywhere: the Iberian peninsula still remained imprisoned into Spanish and Portuguese dictatorships. That one of Salazar ended the 25th of April 1974 thanks to the Carnation revolution: a leftist military coup in overthrew the fascist Estado Novo regime and established a new democratic government. In times of cold war the Portuguese renaissance was another tile toward normality. Each country still celebrates the Liberation day, but all the Europeans should commemorate it in order to can remember how important is democracy.
So it's sad and alarming to listen to people saying fascism was better and the Liberation day is something not to be celebrated. That's what happens every 25th of April in Italy, with part of the population against the celebrations. They say the 25th of April is the day of shame because in 1945 was decided the death of Italy. Totally untrue, that's the reason why we all should remember. In Portugal, on the contrary, people are less divided on the Liberation day: what is shameful for Portugueses is this year they celebrate the Liberation day as a country exiting the financial assistance programme of the Troika. Today Portugal doesn't feel itself free any more. Here Europe should reflect, but is impossible without be aware of what the 25th of April is about
The 25th of April is a remarkable day for Europe: Italy and Portugal celebrate the liberation day. In different moment of history, both countries experienced a return to democracy and freedom after decades of authoritarianism. In 1945 in Italy the Nazi occupation army surrendered and left Northern Italy (Turin and Milan) after a general partisan insurrection by the Italian resistance movement. At the same time the puppet fascist regime dissolved and Benito Mussolini tried to escape. Italy was not yet ready to gain full democracy, but that day a new era started. The 25th of April, 1945, became as symbolic of the Liberation of Italy. Italy's Liberation day is symbolic for Europe. The second world war led to the end of the non-democratic powers across the continent, and the Italian case demonstrated that regimes were over and democracy was spreading, even if at great cost. But democracy was not everywhere: the Iberian peninsula still remained imprisoned into Spanish and Portuguese dictatorships. That one of Salazar ended the 25th of April 1974 thanks to the Carnation revolution: a leftist military coup in overthrew the fascist Estado Novo regime and established a new democratic government. In times of cold war the Portuguese renaissance was another tile toward normality. Each country still celebrates the Liberation day, but all the Europeans should commemorate it in order to can remember how important is democracy.
So it's sad and alarming to listen to people saying fascism was better and the Liberation day is something not to be celebrated. That's what happens every 25th of April in Italy, with part of the population against the celebrations. They say the 25th of April is the day of shame because in 1945 was decided the death of Italy. Totally untrue, that's the reason why we all should remember. In Portugal, on the contrary, people are less divided on the Liberation day: what is shameful for Portugueses is this year they celebrate the Liberation day as a country exiting the financial assistance programme of the Troika. Today Portugal doesn't feel itself free any more. Here Europe should reflect, but is impossible without be aware of what the 25th of April is about
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