Speaking from my experience as a person involved for a long time

Hear, O children of tomorrow, the solemn words of Giorgio Napolitano, a statesman of endurance and vision: “Speaking from my experience as a person involved for a long time in building the European Union, it is important to have patience and efforts to build a community of nations.” In this saying resounds not only the wisdom of a man who labored among councils and treaties, but the eternal truth that great works are not built in haste, and unity among peoples requires more than declarations—it requires sacrifice, labor, and above all, time.

From the ruins of war, when Europe lay broken and weary, arose a dream: that nations once divided by bloodshed might weave together a fabric of peace. The European Union was not born in a day, nor with a single signature. It was forged through decades of negotiation, through compromises bitter and hopeful, through the steady efforts of men and women who believed that no rivalry or border was stronger than the shared desire for stability and prosperity. Napolitano, having lived through these struggles, knew that such a community of nations could not exist without the steel of patience.

Consider, O listeners, the tale of Rome itself. For centuries, the city struggled to bind tribes, provinces, and peoples into one republic, and later into an empire. At times it succeeded, at times it fractured, but the lesson remains: building unity among diverse peoples is the hardest of labors. It demands trust where trust has been broken, compromise where pride resists, and vision that sees beyond the quarrels of the present. As Rome taught and as the European project has echoed, true union cannot be seized—it must be grown, like an oak from acorn to towering strength.

Napolitano’s words remind us also of the hidden cost of haste. When leaders push too swiftly for unity, resentment festers. When they force what has not been cultivated, division grows. Only with steady efforts, brick upon brick, treaty upon treaty, gesture upon gesture, can bonds form that last beyond a season. So too in families, in communities, in nations: patience does not weaken the work—it secures its foundations.

The meaning is clear: unity is not a natural state of nations or of men; it is an achievement, fragile and precious. To build a community of nations is to weave together histories, languages, and hopes that once stood apart. It is a calling not for the faint of heart, but for those willing to endure delay, disappointment, and difficulty in pursuit of something greater. In this way, Napolitano speaks not only to Europe, but to the world: if peace and cooperation are to triumph, then patience and labor must precede them.

The lesson for us all is profound. In your own life, whether you build friendship, family, or work among strangers, know that unity does not come in an instant. Quarrels may arise, differences may seem insurmountable, but with patience and effort, they can be overcome. As nations need treaties, so hearts need dialogue; as states need compromise, so relationships need understanding. The path of unity is long, but its rewards—peace, stability, and shared strength—are worth every step.

Practical wisdom stands before you. When faced with division, do not withdraw, but remain steadfast. When the building of trust is slow, do not despair, but continue in faith. Practice patience in your own interactions: listen before you speak, seek understanding before judgment, offer effort before resignation. In doing so, you become a builder of communities, not unlike those who have shaped nations.

Therefore, O children of the future, remember Giorgio Napolitano’s words: the work of creating a community of nations—or even a community of souls—requires patience and efforts. Do not seek the glory of instant results, for they will crumble like sand. Instead, labor steadily, endure long, and believe that from your perseverance will arise a bond strong enough to withstand time. For in patience is the seed of unity, and in effort is its fruit.