Italian President Sergio Mattarella warned on Friday about the growing appeal of populism in Europe during his three-day state visit to Germany.
Asked about the successes of right-wing parties in EU member states, Mattarella said some were making the deceptive promise of returning to a “golden age” of 50 or 60 years ago.
“The world is changing dramatically,” he said. Large migration flows worry many people, Mattarella added, calling for constructive solutions to be found.
In the morning, German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier and his wife Elke Büdenbender received the Italian President and his daughter Laura Mattarella with military honors at Bellevue Palace, the president’s official residence in Berlin. Steinmeier and his Italian counterpart are good friends.
Mattarella is considered one of the founders of the Italian Democratic Party (Partito Democratico). On the political spectrum, he is far removed from Italy’s ultra-right Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and her Brothers of Italy (Fratelli d’Italia) party.
At a press conference, Steinmeier said the topic of democracy had been emphasized during their joint conversations. He also warned of the dangers to democracy.
“With growing concern … we see polarization trends in all our societies,” Steinmeier said, referring to the results of recent elections. It was important to regain the trust of the population, he emphasized.
Mattarella and his daughter landed in Berlin on Thursday. On Friday evening, Mattarella would meet Chancellor Olaf Scholz for discussions on bilateral and European issues, the chancellery in Berlin said.
On Saturday, the state guests will fly to Bonn and Cologne with Steinmeier and his wife. According to Steinmeier’s office, topics to be discussed there will include climate change.
Finally, the two presidents will travel together to Italy on Sunday, where they plan to attend a commemorative event in Bologna to mark the 80th anniversary of the Marzabotto massacre.
The massacre is considered one of the most serious war crimes committed by German soldiers in Italy during World War II.
