- 2021 marks the 70th anniversary of the Treaty of Paris and the 80th of the declaration “For a free and united Europe. Draft manifesto»;
- Best known as the Ventotene Manifesto, the declaration was written by Altiero Spinelli, Ernesto Rossi, and Eugenio Corloni during their imprisonment on the island of Ventotene and was completed in June 1941;
- It was widely disseminated among the Italian resistance mainly thanks to the work of activists Ursula Hirschmann and Ada Rossi, who also participated in its drafting;
- Adopted as a program of the Federalist Movement founded by Altiero Spinelli in 1943, its ideals inspired the creation of the Council of Europe in 1949 and of the European Coal and Steel Community in 1951.
Eighty years ago, Altiero Spinelli and his companions issued the Federalist Manifesto “For a Free and United Europe. A Draft Manifesto” in their prison on the island of Ventotene. Seventy years ago, six countries signed the Treaty of Paris creating the Coal and Steel European Community, the first practical step towards European unity.
To commemorate Europe Day 2021, the EUROM and the Jean Monnet House organize an online session in collaboration with the Instituto di Studi Federalisti Altiero Spinelli to discuss both the significance of the memory of European unity landmarks and the role of women in its construction. The event will include a keynote by Maria Pia di Nonno (Università di Roma – La Sapienza) about the founding mothers of Europe followed by a dialogue focusing on the decade intervening between the Manifesto of Ventotene and the Treaty of Paris in light of the launch of the Conference on the Future of Europe.
Programme
6.30 pm – Welcome words
Jordi Guixé (EUROM)
Martí Grau (Maison Jean Monnet)
6.45 pm – 7.15 pm
Keynote speech
The founding mothers of Europe: commemorating the role of women in European unity
Maria Pia Di Nonno (Università di Roma – Sapienza)
Presentation: Luciana Rocchi (ISGREC)
7.15 pm – 7.45 pm
Dialogue
From the Ventotene Manifesto to the Treaty of Paris: memories of the foundations of European unity in light of the Conference on the Future of Europe.
Mario Leone and Michele Fiorillo (Istituto di Studi Federalisti Altiero Spinelli)
Debora Righetti and Martí Grau (Jean Monnet House – European Parliament)
7.45-8.00 pm.
Open discussion
8.00 – 8.15 pm
Closing words
Giorgio Anselmi, President of the Instituto Federalisti Altiero Spinelli.