Lucrezia Ciotti 'SElaborate of State 2025, among the tracks proposed to the students, a piece by Paolo stands out Purse, a magistrate who symbolized the fight against the mafia, dedicated to young people. The choice to propose his words as an exam theme is not only a tribute to his memory, but also an invitation to high school graduates to reflect on the value of courage, legality and civil commitment.
This decision has aroused deep emotion in Fiammetta Borsellino, daughter of the magistrate, who shared his heartfelt message.
The track dedicated to Paolo Borsellino at the 2025 Maturity Exam
The following text It is taken from the speech by Paolo Borsellino entitled Young people, my hope, published in the magazine Epoca October 14, 1992 (pp. 125-126). In these words, the magistrate expresses his deep commitment to the new generations, considered the fulcrum of his fight against the mafia and the future in which he places his greatest hopes.
“I was born in Palermo and I worked here as a magistrate. Palermo is a city that suddenly found itself famous in the world for events that it would have gladly done without. Palermo is a beautiful and unfortunate city. A city forced by men to suffer unspeakable losses, to a series of bloody events that have no equal in recent history. But Palermo is also a city that, like all of Sicily, wants to react, wants to return to enjoying the beauty of life. And young people are our hope. I am convinced that young people, who today find themselves in a society in which they often do not recognize themselves, have a great desire to react, to give meaning to their lives and to commit themselves to society. The mafia fears school more than justice, because it thrives on people's ignorance and on the culture of silence. Education, culture, knowledge are the true antidotes against the mafia. School must educate on legality, must teach respect for the rules and the value of responsibility. Only in this way can we build a more just society, free from the mafia”.
Borsellino's daughter's emotion for the 2025 Maturity Exam track
"It's a beautiful surprise, I'm happy and excited. It means that all the enormous work we are doing in schools has been recognized. I am sure that the kids will not be unprepared,” Fiammetta Borsellino declared to Republic.
The woman explained that the young They played a central role in the life of his father, who dedicated his entire existence to them, believing in an anti-mafia based on prevention and opportunities, capable of distancing young people from crime by cultivating passions and culture. Even in his last days, Paolo Borsellino did not stop fighting for them, writing a letter to the students of a school in Padua.
Regarding the hopes that the magistrate placed in the young people, Fiammetta recalled his desire to direct them towards healthy interests and to hit drug trafficking, a battle he had inherited from Judge Rocco Chinnici.
On the contents of the theme, Fiammetta Borsellino, underlined that the kids should reflect on the message of a man who has always combined his work as a magistrate with his civil commitment, a teaching that she herself carries forward in schools throughout Italy.
Finally, regarding the value of this track at a time when the fight against the mafia seems to be little present in the political agenda, Fiammetta highlighted how the daily commitment of teachers and local realities and keep his father's memory alive.
"There is an incredible sensitivity and push from below. My thermometer is the thousand requests that come to me from schools and universities. For this reason I am sure that today's kids have all the tools to write a good essay. And I would then like to be able to read some of them to appreciate the mark that my father's life has left on them" he concluded in the long interview with Republic.