Minister,

President of the Constitutional Court,

Vice President of the Chamber of Deputies,

Deputy Calovini,

Deputies and Senators,

Governor of the Central Bank,

Excellencies and representatives of the Diplomatic Corps,

Signor Ministro Foti,

Signor Presidente della Corte Costituzionale,

Signor Vice Presidente della Camera dei Deputati,

Onorevole Calovini,

Stimati Deputati e Senatori,

Signor Governatore della Banca d’Italia,

Eccelence, stimati rappresentanti del corpo diplomatico,

Cari ospiti,

Esteemed guests,

It is a great pleasure for me to be here with all of you.

Ambassador Bagger, thank you for making this possible, together with your team.

The Day of German Unity reminds us of an epochal transformation.

È per me una grande gioia essere qui con tutti Voi.

Stimati Ambasciatore, caro Signor Bagger, grazie per avere reso questo possible insieme al Suo team.

Il Giorno dell’Unità tedesca ci ricorda una transformazione epocale.

The people in the GDR engaged in a peaceful struggle for their freedom, fighting a communist dictatorship. They generated momentum that enabled the two German states to be reunified.

This struggle for freedom was a remarkable stroke of luck.

It shows us how, when people are confident that they can shape their own future, then – despite the world’s crises – they can accomplish what previously appeared to be impossible.

Ladies and gentlemen – last week I was in New York.

At the General Assembly,

in the Security Council.

There, I sensed uncertainty and quite a lot of unease in view of the many crises the world is facing.

This was the main topic during the many bilateral and multilateral talks and discussions that took place.

But the focus was also on action and engagement – on discussing how we can make a difference, together as partners, in order to tackle crises head-on.

It is from precisely such partnerships that I draw the confidence we need if we are to face up to these crises.

This includes the close partnership and true friendship between our countries, between Italy and Germany.

Today, we planted a tree – an oak tree, here in the garden of the Residence.

This oak is the first of 75 trees that will be planted throughout Italy by the end of this year.

One tree for every year of diplomatic relations between our countries.

What was once initiated by Adenauer and de Gasperi has today grown into a strong partnership.

Adenauer and de Gasperi led our countries out of the rubble of the Second World War into a free, democratic and above all European future.

Over the last 75 years, our countries have become a European powerhouse.

That is, one could say, the tree that Adenauer and de Gasperi planted back then.

These achievements should not be taken for granted.

Ladies and gentlemen, I would also like to mark this Day of German Unity by saying some words about the most recent regional parliament elections in Germany.

The results were taken note of outside the country, including here in Italy.

So allow me to underline that

Germany’s institutions and our Basic Law are democratic, capable of defending themselves, and stable.

We in the Federal Government are very much aware of Germany’s responsibility in Europe – also considering our history.

We will maintain our state as a liberal democracy, and we will keep Germany firmly anchored in Europe.

We work hard every day to keep Germany strong, dependable and European.

A country that embodies stability, even as the world faces various crises.

For this, we need political stability, along with a stable economic foundation.

And that is where Germany and Italy continue to point the way.

Dear guests, our countries are today Europe’s largest industrial nations.

Together, we account for 40% of the European Union’s industrial production. Germany and Italy are also Europe’s leading export nations.

Some 38% of European exports to countries outside the EU originate in our two countries – in particular industrial exports.

We want not only to maintain, but to expand, the strong positions we are in.

That is one of the reasons we had such highly successful intergovernmental consultations earlier this year here in Rome.

Germany and Italy are home to a number of European success stories.

Here, I am thinking specifically of German-Italian research partnerships in the sphere of space, and of defence partnerships like that between Leonardo and Rheinmetall.

I am thinking about our very close coordination on various legislative initiatives in Brussels regarding, for example, migration, and of our joint initiatives that aim to enhance competitiveness.

And I am thinking of more than 400 municipal partnerships that bring together the citizens of our countries on a daily basis.

Ladies and gentlemen, we've referred to2026 as the 'year of opportunities'.

It is particularly important to me that this year’s momentum give rise to projects and initiatives that endure.

That become success stories.

And that fill our countries with confidence.

75 years from now, the tree that has been planted in this garden will have grown into a mighty oak that will provide shade to those who come after us – and this thought, too, fills me with confidence.

Ladies and gentlemen,
“E viva l’amicizia tra Italia e Germania!” (Long live the friendship between Italy and Germany!)

Thank you very much.