Mattarella recalls Marcinelle: "Protecting workers and fighting exploitation are urgently needed."

Sixty-nine years ago, the tragedy struck the Marcinelle mine in Belgium, where 262 miners, 136 of them Italian, lost their lives in a tragic workplace accident. The President of the Republic, in a message, remembers the sacrifice of his fellow Italian emigrants and reiterates the "urgent need" to protect workers and raise awareness of workplace safety.

"Since 2001, August 8th has been recognized as the National Day of Sacrifice of Italian Workers Around the World. The protection of workers and the fight against all forms of exploitation remain an urgent necessity, responding to principles of civilization and a universal duty," says Mattarella. Today, "the tribute extends to all Italian workers who died in places far from Italy, mostly out of necessity, workers who contributed with commitment, honesty, and dedication to the prosperity of the countries that welcomed them," continues the Head of State.

On August 8, 1956, 252 people died in a fire that broke out in the Bois du Cazier, one of the main shafts of the Marcinelle mine in Belgium. Among the victims, 136 were Italians who had emigrated in search of work.

"Marcinelle, like every other tragic event that has marked the history of Italian emigration," the Head of State continued, "evokes the duty to promote the dignity of work in all its forms, so that what happened must never happen again. The Republic is grateful to all our compatriots who have brought the values of Italian work beyond our national borders, also helping the development of their own country. On this day, I renew my sentiments of sympathy and compassion to the families and loved ones of those who perished at the Bois du Cazier—and everywhere else in foreign lands," Mattarella concluded.

Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni also remembered the tragedy. She did so in a long post on social media titled "Marcinelle disaster, Italy does not forget," accompanied by a black-and-white photo of that day 69 years ago when many workers died "far from their homes and loved ones, in the line of duty. Italy paid the highest price for this European tragedy, and today we pay homage to our 136 compatriots who—like so many others—were forced to abandon the land where they were born and raised to find better employment opportunities elsewhere," the Prime Minister wrote. "The memory of that disaster gave rise to the 'National Day of Sacrifice of Italian Labor in the World'." This anniversary was strongly supported by the late Minister Tremaglia to honor all the Italian workers who lost their lives on every continent and the contribution they made, with dedication and humility, to the development of the nations that welcomed them." Meloni echoes Tremaglia's words on August 8, 2002, during his first official visit to the mine as Minister for Italians Abroad: "Marcinelle represents the symbol of the suffering, the toil, the blood shed at work by Italians around the world and their European brothers, and the superiority of that then-ignored humanism of labor that recognizes the dignity and equal rights and duties of those who work. These words resonate with all their relevance and renew the profound debt of gratitude to our fellow citizens and to the great history of Italian emigration," Meloni recalls.

Many bipartisan messages arrived on the occasion of the anniversary. "Honoring his memory is a national duty, as is ensuring dignified, safe, and respectful working conditions for human life," said Senate President Ignazio La Russa . For Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani , "Marcinelle teaches us that people must always remain at the center, with a culture of workplace safety as the cornerstone of the entire economic system."

Anna Ascani , Democratic Party vice president in the Chamber of Deputies, also remembers the Italian victims: "They had left home to escape poverty. Too many similar tragedies still happen today. Checks, resources, training: safety is a right, not a cost. We live on work, not die." Another Democrat, Toni Ricciardi , migration historian and Democratic Party vice president in the Chamber of Deputies, agrees: "We remember a wound that is still open, a warning for the present, a duty for the future."

"Marcinelle remains one of the most painful symbols of the sacrifice of Italian workers in the world, a still-open wound that calls upon the whole of Europe to address the value of memory, dignity, and safety at work," wrote Cinzia Pellegrino, Senator for the Brothers of Italy party and member of the European Union Policies Committee, in a statement on the sidelines of the official commemoration held this morning at the site of the tragedy.