SAN MARINO – The regency semester of Gerardo Giovagnoli And William Casaliwho took office today, 1 October, at the helm of the Republic of San Marino. The traditional ceremony brought together San Marino authorities, representatives of the diplomatic and consular corps and international guests at Palazzo Pubblico, with the official speech entrusted to the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Andorra Imma Tor Faus.
The institutional transition takes place at a particularly significant moment for San Marino. The signing of the Association Agreement with the European Union is expected on 19 October, indicated by the new Regency as the opening of a new phase after more than a decade of negotiations. “The signing of the Agreement does not close a page, but opens a new one”, underlined the Captains Regent, recalling the need to transform the new relationship with Brussels into concrete opportunities for citizens, businesses and young people.
In his inaugural speech, Gerardo Giovagnoli And William Casali they highlighted how the Agreement will require new skills and professionalism and a greater capacity of the institutions to deal with European procedures and interlocutors. Training, economic and cultural exchanges and greater participation in European dynamics are some of the areas on which the Regency looks with particular attention, reiterating at the same time that the association path must not lead to a renunciation of the San Marino identity.
A central passage was also dedicated to the role of institutions. The Regency reminded the Great and General Council of the need for a “plural and non-prejudicial” discussion, based on respect for the rules and the ability to listen to different positions. “The Regency does not belong to those who temporarily exercise it, but belongs to the Republic”, Giovagnoli and Casali recalled, reiterating the value of the separation and balance of powers, the primacy of the law and the Declaration of Rights.
Issues related to artificial intelligence and digital transformation will also come into force in the new semester. The Regency emphasized the need to govern innovation while keeping the person and their dignity at the centre, recalling San Marino’s accession, in 2024, to the Council of Europe Framework Convention on artificial intelligence, human rights, democracy and the rule of law. The indicated objective is to make the Republic a possible laboratory of good practices, also taking advantage of the small size of the country to experiment with innovative solutions in regulated, transparent and verifiable contexts.
Wars and international tensions also served as a backdrop to the ceremony. The Captains Regent reaffirmed the traditional San Marino position according to which no conflict can find a lasting solution through force alone, recalling the active neutrality of the Republic, multilateralism, dialogue and mediation. The reception project aimed at Palestinian citizens was also mentioned.
The Apostolic Nuncio to Italy and San Marino, Monsignor Edgar Pena Parraspeaking on behalf of the Diplomatic and Consular Corps, defined the Investiture as a reaffirmation of the values of “freedom, democracy and sovereignty”. In his greeting he indicated San Marino’s neutrality and vocation for dialogue and hospitality as particularly significant elements in the current international scenario, inviting the new Regency to place “the dignity of the human person and the pursuit of the Common Good” at the center of institutional action.
The link between San Marino and Andorra and the common European path represented the underlying theme of the official speech Imma Tor Faus. Presenting it, the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs Luca Beccari he recalled how the two countries faced the path towards the Association Agreement together, seeking a balance between greater European integration and safeguarding their respective peculiarities.
Tor Faus developed the theme of the role of small states, paralleling the historical experiences of San Marino and Andorra: two realities that have been able to preserve identities, institutions and sovereignty over the centuries by adapting to changes. “Sovereignty is not measured in square kilometers, just as influence is not measured exclusively by population or economic weight,” said the Andorran Minister.
The Association Agreement jointly negotiated with the European Union has been highlighted as one of the most concrete examples of this collaborative capacity. For Tor Faus, being small does not mean being isolated: it can instead foster the building of alliances, cooperation and the ability to act as facilitators of international dialogue. “A small country does not need to speak loudly. It must speak clearly, coherently and with conviction,” he stressed.
In her speech, the Official Speaker also called for the defense of international law, multilateralism, human rights, sovereignty and territorial integrity of States, as well as the protection of the environment, cultural and linguistic diversity. San Marino and Andorra, he observed, can transform common experiences into shared positions and, when possible, into joint initiatives.
A message that was intertwined with that of the new Regency: facing change without losing identity. Giovagnoli and Casali concluded by recalling the “perpetual freedom” celebrated by Giosuè Carducciinterpreting it not only as a legacy received from history, but as a responsibility to be renewed and handed over to the new generations.
