2 June 1946. Eighty years ago, Italians – and, for the first time, Italian women – went to the polls to choose between a monarchy and a republic, and to elect the Constituent Assembly. An extraordinary moment, which we remember and celebrate today.

Italy was emerging from twenty years of fascism and a war that had destroyed cities, families and certainties. 89% of those eligible to vote turned out. Almost 13 million men and women from all walks of life decided to build something new – a Republic – together, rising from the rubble and bridging their differences. The more than 10 million who chose the monarchy accepted the result, albeit after some initial unrest and protest. The Constitution that emerged from that Assembly, composed of truly extraordinary figures including 21 women, was not the text of a single party or faction. It was the result of an agreement between worlds far apart—Catholics, Communists, Liberals, Socialists—united by having experienced first-hand where aggressive nationalism, contempt for minorities and the concentration of power lead. Many had fought and resisted. Many had lost mothers, fathers and children. They knew what they were talking about. And that awareness produced a Constitution that was radically anti-fascist, deeply social, open to European integration and the rejection of war. From that vote eighty years ago came things we now take for granted but which must instead be defended: universal suffrage, freedom of the press and of expression, labour rights, state education, healthcare for all, and institutions that limit power and protect the most vulnerable.

Today, that decision challenges us directly. We watch the ongoing conflicts in Ukraine, Gaza, Lebanon, Sudan – as many as 56 – with a ‘numbed’ detachment. Russian war crimes become background news. The massacres of civilians and Israel’s abuses are measured by a double standard: they matter or they don’t, depending on who commits them. Cruel and absurd wars, which seemed impossible and yet are here, right before our eyes.

Eighty years on, those Italian men and women, mostly traumatised and with few resources, still speak to us and tell us that even in the worst of circumstances, we can choose a different path. And that democratic participation, expressed through voting but also through mobilisation and presence, is the tool we have to shake off indifference, to refuse to accept double standards, to demand an Italy and a Europe that are more consistent and active in defending freedom and values, and in responding to today’s challenges, from climate change to the excessive power of big tech. Eighty years ago, it worked. It can work again. Happy 2 June.