ROME — Twenty-five years after the September 11 attacks, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni marked the anniversary with a message centered on remembrance, democratic resilience and Italy’s commitment to its allies.
“Twenty-five years ago, terrorism did not only attack the heart of the United States, but the entire free world,” Meloni said.
Why it matters: Meloni used the 9/11 anniversary to reaffirm a broader principle behind Italy’s alliances: security and democracy require collective defense and cannot be taken for granted.
- “Democracy and security are not achievements that can be taken for granted,” she said. “They are pillars of our civilization, which we have a duty to preserve together.”
- Meloni pledged that Italy “has stood and will continue to stand alongside its allies in the fight against terrorism,” linking that commitment to the defense of shared values.
- Her message closed on remembrance: “Our thoughts, filled with emotion, today as then, go to the victims of the September 11, 2001 attacks and their families. We do not forget.”
The U.S. response: U.S. Ambassador to Italy Fertitta thanked Meloni for what he called her “powerful words.”
- “Twenty-five years later, our alliance remains as strong as ever,” Fertitta said. “We stand together, always.”
Bottom line: A quarter-century after 9/11, the message from Rome was both commemorative and political: Italy remembers the victims and presents its commitment to its allies as part of the same legacy.
