A clap of hands for Franco Casavola
All of us founders of the UNITED STATES OF THE WORLD and the FONDAZIONE MEDITERRANEO express our deepest condolences and applaud the passing of Francesco Paolo Casavola, president emeritus of the Constitutional Court and member of our institution.
Franco was a dear friend of mine, whom I met through Francesco De Martino, whose assistant he was from 1955 onwards.
Our lives intertwined on many occasions: from our participation in the Arbitration Commission in the former Yugoslavia in 1993-94 to the drafting of the “Constitution of the United States of the World” on 12 December 1997. on that day, despite the presence of over two thousand delegates from many countries, we continued to talk about articles, democracy and bioethics, attracting the curiosity and attention of the then Prince Felipe of Spain (now King Felipe VI).
Among my many memories are two beautiful dedications in two of his books: “F. De Martino storico” (1990) and Return to the origins. For the reconstruction of the foundations of democracy (2014).
Upon hearing the news, there was a desire, almost a need, to hear his voice: on the very day that Trump violated Venezuela's sovereignty and the world continues to trample on every form of international law every day.
We did so by listening again to an interview Franco gave two years ago to Filippo Patroni Griffi, a constitutional judge, in which he reiterates the weakening of the value and collegiality of the High Court and the need to protect citizens' rights “however and wherever” through a “new rich humanity”.
His words should serve as a warning in this difficult period of history in which we are experiencing a daily famine of humanity, values and rights.