Violante warns repression alone cannot end violence, calls for broader social solutions

Luciano Violante, former magistrate and ex-president of the Chamber for the Pd, warned that curbing violence requires punishment but not an exclusive reliance on repression. He recalled the left’s historic role against terrorism and the mafia, contrasting it with current debates where figures like Vincenzo De Luca advocate tougher policing and Matteo Renzi supports a hard line, though Violante says those positions are not rooted in leftist tradition.

Emphasising that ordinary crime harms the most vulnerable, he rejected both the view that society alone is to blame and the belief that force is always the answer, labeling the latter a right-wing stance. Violante linked today’s unrest to a generation feeling hopeless across Europe and beyond, urging political and civic action rather than merely issuing decrees. He called for addressing housing policy, youth prospects, and broader social issues, noting that the left must move beyond daily politics to shape the future.