Born 6 June 1948 in Italy. A Christian-Democratic politician, philosopher. Studied law in Turin and Rome, professor of political sciences. In 1999, he was elected Member of the European Parliament, and in October 2004, he was nominated by Jose Barroso for the position of Commissioner for Justice, Freedom and Security. The Honorary Citizenship was conferred by Resolution No 726/XXX/2005 of the Lublin City Council of 28 April 2005. The Act conferring the Honorary Citizenship: This Act is an expression of our gratitude and high appreciation of your achievements as Italian philosopher, a man of virtue, expert in our history and culture, populariser of the social and moral teachings of John Paul II, promoter of the ethos of the Union of Lublin in contemporary Europe. Your personal ties with Poland, especially with Lublin, through the Faculty of Ethics at the Catholic University of Lublin, which was once headed by Cardinal Karol Wojtyła, have led to the Polish edition of Il pensiero di Karol Wojtyla. Owing to your numerous lectures and participation in symposiums (e.g. The primacy of truth over power. “Non Possumus” in politics... Why? of 2001), you are well known as a thinker both to the academic community and to the inhabitants of our city in which many of your students live and work. You remind us that democracy without a deposit of value, based on mutual exploitation, is incapable of challenging the problems of the contemporary world. The words spoken by John Paul II: “From the Union of Lublin to the European Union” have become an ethical and political target for those who assume responsibility for the Europe of tomorrow, and, no doubt, you are one of those persons. Together with the title of “Honorary Citizen”, please accept our best wishes of success in your further social and political activities as well as prosperity in your personal life.
