The Sardinian Democratic Party's regional Unity Festival was presented this morning in Sassari, at the Democratic Party headquarters on Via Mazzini. The underlying theme of the event, which will be held in Alghero from September 8th to 12th at the Marina, will be "Europe, Frontier of Hope."
The event was introduced by the regional secretary of the Democratic Party, Silvio Lai, the secretary of the Sassari Federation, Massimo Pintus, the secretary of the Alghero Democratic Party, Enrico Daga, the regional deputy secretary, Ivana Russu, the regional director of the festival, Antonello Lullia, and the president of the Democratic Party's regional assembly, Giovanna Scanu. As those present explained, it will consist of five days of politics, culture, books, music, and socializing, with discussions scheduled from 6:00 PM onward, followed by the musical portion at 9:30 PM.
"But the Festival," Lullia explains, "will also be alive off the stage: the popular restaurant, the children's area, the traditional games, and above all the work of 200 volunteers are an integral part of the project. We want to fully recapture the spirit of the Feste dell'Unità."
The days will be free and open to all. "Alghero will welcome people from all over Sardinia and tourists from all over Italy," adds Daga, "and we want the people of Alghero to feel this festival as their own: a place to stop, meet, discuss, eat together, and listen to music." An occasion of this magnitude has required a significant mobilization of local clubs and volunteers . "This year, the regional festival is coming to Northern Sardinia," emphasizes Pintus, "and we want it to be an opportunity to reconnect activists, administrators, associations, citizens, and many people who may not be regularly involved in party life. A Festa dell'Unità must, above all, be a community that opens up."
Various topics were addressed during the days. "Europe, first and foremost," Russu explains, "but also climate change, the transformation of the production and agricultural system, energy, labor, democracy, and new technologies. These are global issues that we wanted to continually connect with Sardinia and the choices we will have to make in the coming years."
The focus is also on participation. "Politics," Scanu emphasizes, "needs to return to physical spaces where people can meet without necessarily agreeing on everything. The Festa serves this purpose as well. On Saturday morning, we will have the assembly of the circle secretaries and an important event promoted by the democratic women on the importance of words, gender language, and citizenship, but for all five days, we want a Festa that spans generations and experiences. " Lai elaborates on the overall meaning of the initiative: "We chose 'Europe, Frontier of Hope' because we don't want to make Europe a ritual reminder. In a time when war, nationalism, tariffs, and competition between great powers are returning, the question is whether Europe will be capable of becoming a stronger political, economic, and social entity, and what place Sardinia will have within this new Europe." Many guests will be at the Festa, from Massimo Giannini to Peppe Provenzano, from Stefano Bonaccini to Andrea Orlando, from Renato Soru to Carla Bassu to Francesca Ghirra. Performances by several bands are also scheduled, such as Modena City Ramblers Frankie Hi-NRG, Forelock with King Textone, The Queen in Rock, Niera and Daniele Mondello.
"This choice," Lai concludes, "also reflects the Festival we envisioned: an event where a national leader, a local administrator, a student, a family, or a young woman who comes to listen to music can all share the same space. We're not asking people to come to Alghero simply to listen to the Democratic Party. We invite them to discuss, meet, and spend time with us. From Tuesday, September 8th to Saturday, September 12th, the Alghero Tourist Port will be the open house of the Democratic Party of Sardinia for five days."