President Sergio Mattarella on
Wednesday warned against the dangers of state absolutism and
said governments should be aware of their limits.
"8Cathilic jurist Egidio) Tosato challenged Rousseau's
assumption that the general will could find no limits of any
kind in laws, because the will of the people could change any
rule or regulation," the head of State said at the Social Week
of Catholics in Italy in Trieste.
"He did so in very clear words: 'We all know by now that the
alleged general will is in reality no more than the will of a
majority and that the will of a majority, which sees itself as
representative of the will of the whole people can be, as has
often been shown, more unjust and more oppressive than the will
of a prince.
"A firm no, therefore, to state absolutism, to limitless,
potentially overbearing authority. Awareness of limits is an
indispensable factor of loyal and inalienable democratic
vitality".
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