ECR Group President and President of the Abruzzo Region, Marco Marsilio, today took part in the commemorations marking the 70th anniversary of the Marcinelle mining disaster, one of the darkest tragedies in Europe's industrial history. Speaking at Bois du Cazier, the site where 262 miners lost their lives on 8 August 1956, Marsilio paid tribute to the victims and reflected on the enduring values of dignity, responsibility and respect for work that their sacrifice represents.
The ceremony gathered high-level Italian and European authorities, including President of the Italian Senate Ignazio La Russa, Minister of Labour Marina Calderone, Italian Ambassador to Belgium Federica Favi, European Parliament Vice-President Antonella Sberna, Head of the Fratelli d'Italia delegation in the European Parliament Carlo Fidanza, Senator Roberto Menia, MEP Marco Scurria, CNEL President Renato Brunetta, as well as representatives of trade unions and Italian communities abroad.
"Marcinelle is a wound that has crossed generations. It is the name of a tragedy that still resonates in families, in communities that lost their loved ones, and in the territories from which so many men departed in search of a better future." Recalling that 136 of the victims were Italian and that 60 came from Abruzzo, Marsilio underlined the deep connection between the tragedy and the history of his region. He paid tribute to the men who left their homeland not in pursuit of wealth, but in search of dignity and opportunity for their families.
The ECR Group President also welcomed the recognition of 8 August as the European Day in Remembrance of the Victims of Accidents at Work and for the Protection and Dignity of Workers, describing it as an important step in ensuring that the lessons of Marcinelle continue to shape public policy and collective memory across Europe.
"Work cannot be considered a simple economic variable. Work is a fundamental dimension of human dignity. It allows families to build their future, communities to prosper and nations to grow. No human life can ever be considered expendable. No production target, economic interest or profit logic can prevail over the safety and dignity of people".
Reflecting on the legacy of Italian emigration, Marsilio also praised the role of Italian communities abroad as bridges between nations, preserving their roots while contributing to the development of the societies that welcomed them. He argued that the story of Marcinelle remains relevant today because it reminds Europe of the importance of family, community, responsibility and belonging.
Concluding his speech, the ECR Group President called on Europe to honour the victims not only through remembrance but through concrete commitment to safeguarding the dignity of workers.
"To the 262 victims of Marcinelle we owe our remembrance. To their families we owe our gratitude. And to those who work across Europe today we owe the commitment to build a society that never forgets that work must serve mankind, and never the other way around".