Transcript: Mayor de Blasio Meets with Italian Minister of Foriegn Affairs Federica Mogherini

July 21, 2014

[Foreign Minister Federica Mogherini and Mayor Bill de Blasio deliver remarks in Italian]

Foreign Minister Mogherini: [Inaudible]

Mayor: It's for me a great honor and great pleasure to be here with the foreign minister. She is I think an example to all of us in New York and to the United States of a new, progressive leadership in Europe and Italy. That [inaudible] Italy's leadership of the European Community—a very important moment, I think for all of us, and the message the prime minister and the foreign minister have sent of a new and more balanced approach, recognizing that [inaudible] great opportunity for all. And we have to address those who don't have employment and opportunity. This is something that bonds us because we face the same challenge in the United States and of course in New York City. So I am so appreciative and so impressed by the [inaudible] leadership of Europe, and the message that they're sending for all of Europe and all over the world.

We, each time we have met, talk about what it will take to achieve some of the fundamental changes and to create more equality, to create more opportunity. And I think it begins with saying it out loud that we're facing a crisis of opportunity and a crisis of inequality and that the unwillingness to address it makes it impossible to answer. Here in Italy, we have a government that acknowledges the problem and is forcefully addressing it. And that is an inspiration to me. And we have [inaudible]. I know the passion that the foreign minister has [inaudible], and it's the kind of issues we're grappling with as well in New York, in the United States. [Inaudible] food security, and addressing the challenges of the world that has to [inaudible] question of food differently in the past. I want to thank her for her leadership on this issue. And yes, the Italian-American community in New York, in the whole country, I think has to be part of supporting this progress in Italy. It's something I'll certainly encourage. And when the foreign minister returns to New York, we plan to gather members of the community to [inaudible] and to support her efforts.

Foreign Minister Mogherini: [Inaudible]

Question: Mr. Mayor, you – I believe you said you were an admirer of some of the parts of the social democracies in Europe. And yet, as you say, we've also seen growing inequality across the European Union in recent years. What parts of [inaudible] would you like to see adopted in the states, and how does that balance with [inaudible] necessary to ameliorate some of those issues of inequality?

Mayor: Well I think we – the notion that the government has an important role to play. It is in fostering the quality of [inaudible] opportunity and addressing not just social problems, but addressing the problem of the market and the need to create balance in the market. I think that summarizes [inaudible] with Italy's leadership of the European community. You see, I think, a very intelligent, very important, very progressive effort to create a new balance, to say, as we say in New York City, of course we want to be financially responsible, fiscally responsible, but if we're not creating opportunity for our people, we're not fostering economic growth, then we're failing as leaders. And I think Italy has spoken powerfully of the need to create that different kind of balance and to address the insufficiencies of the austerity policies that have predominated. I think the same dynamic is happening in the United States today, a nation that grew and prospered because of investment, whether in education or infrastructure or research, and has effectively suspended those investments on a national level in recent years. And now our economy is suffering and the levels of opportunity are declining. It was a very small [inaudible] and I think in a more globalized world, what we're finding is a lot of people who I would define as progressives are realizing together we have to create a movement for greater opportunity.

Question: [In Italian]

Foreign Minister Mogherini: [Speaks in Italian]

Question: For the foreign minister, can you tell us what the Italian government – what is the top message that the Italian government would like the mayor to bring back to the US secretary of state or the president of the United States. And for the mayor, now that you have this sort of spin on the international stage, when you're done with City Hall do you have any interest in serving in the national government of the United States [inaudible] White House?

Foreign Minister Mogherini: Well the top message that I'd ask the mayor to pass is how strong our relations are, [inaudible] But also because people, cities to cities, communities to communities, our problems are not only [inaudible] social, and go deep in history and culture [inaudible]. And this is also what makes us strong friends, strong allies [Inaudible] communities that know each other very well, that share a lot, and that [inaudible] not the case now [inaudible].

Mayor: First let me comment on what you said and then I'll answer Michael's second question. I'm here as a very proud Italian-American. And throughout my years as a student and since I've tried to learn about Italy from the perspective of someone who feels that Italy shaped me through my grandparents. And there were many different leaders over the last few decades, many different parties in power, many different types of parties. But this particular moment is extraordinary. To have [inaudible]. This is an extraordinary group of leaders. It makes me very proud as an Italian-American. And then in a different sense on a spiritual level, to have a pope who speaks to the world about the inequality crisis [inaudible] and happens to be a man of Italian origin. This is a very particular moment and I am – all my, you know, decades of looking at the situation, I haven't seen this alignment before with so many leaders. And again, I'm – I have my own bias because of my pride in my Italian heritage and I have my bias because I am ideologically progressive. But to see this group of leaders all on the stage at the same time in a moment where I think their voices are absolutely necessary. [Inaudible] the inequality crisis [inaudible] has reached a very dangerous level [inaudible] pope's more spiritual and universal message, or whether it's the prime minister or the foreign minister's message about striking a new balance and changing the policy of austerity. I think these leaders were meant to be here at this time. And it's very powerful to have just a few moments even to experience it. And the other part I want to say is because of the deep, deep connection New York City has [inaudible] so many of our citizens of Italian origin and how [inaudible] most Italian-American parts of the United States. For me, I'm here in celebration of that and always [inaudible] work together. And in a more globalized world, the relationship matters economically and in so many other ways. But I can safely say that when you're mayor of New York City, I don't know if there's anything better than that.. And there's a lot of work to be done, so I'm happy help. My humble focus is locally in our small town of New York.

Question: 2024?

Mayor: We'll just [inaudible]

Question: [In Italian]

Foreign Minister Mogherini: [Speaks in Italian]