Italian and Austrian Presidents Celebrate 80th Anniversary of Paris Agreement in Merano

Italian President Sergio Mattarella and Austrian President Alexander Van der Bellen met at the Kursaal in Merano to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the Paris Agreement. Signed on September 5, 1946, the pact, also known as the De Gasperi Gruber Agreement, established the autonomy of Trento and Bolzano. During the ceremony, both heads of state were awarded the Grand Order of Merit of the Autonomous Province of Bolzano, which is the highest local honor. President Mattarella described the agreement as an innovative and courageous solution to the South Tyrol issue, stating that it established the principle that one is not a foreigner in one's own home. President Van der Bellen noted that the agreement allowed democratic values to prevail over force and transformed the region from a point of contention into a link between the two countries. Governor Arno Kompatscher observed that while the compromise was initially perceived as a disappointment by some for denying the return of South Tyrol to Austria, it ultimately enabled the protection of linguistic minorities and the current state of peaceful coexistence. Following the event in Merano, President Mattarella was scheduled to travel to Trento for a second ceremony titled 1946 to 2026: 80 Years of a Republic and a Special Autonomy.