The CDLS has welcomed with satisfaction the signing of the Association Agreement between San Marino and the European Union, calling for this new phase to be accompanied by the involvement of trade unions, intermediate bodies and the public. For the Confederazione Democratica Lavoratori Sammarinesi (CDLS), San Marino’s largest trade union confederation, integration must translate into better working conditions, protection of rights and social cohesion, as well as economic opportunities.
The union describes the signing as the culmination of a long and complex journey, one that strengthens the Republic’s international standing. It is a choice to which the CDLS also attributes political and civic significance: “It means recognising oneself as part of a community founded on the values of freedom, democracy, equality, solidarity and the protection of rights.”
Against an international backdrop marked by tensions, conflicts and nationalist pressures, the CDLS sees the association as a commitment to a project of cooperation and peace, grounded in dialogue and multilateralism.
The signing now opens the chapter of implementation. “The signing of the Agreement, however, does not represent an endpoint, but the beginning of a new phase in which San Marino will be called upon to give concrete shape to its European choice,” the statement reads. “Beyond the regulatory adjustments and transformations that will accompany this process, the greatest challenge will be to interpret integration as an opportunity for collective growth, capable of strengthening the quality of work, rights and social cohesion.”
Hence the call to ensure space for social dialogue and democratic participation in decisions concerning the country’s future. “The involvement of trade unions and intermediate bodies must be an integral part of this process, so that the opportunities offered by the association translate into widespread benefits and economic progress advances alongside social progress.”
The Confederation also stresses the need to engage with different experiences and to review established practices, while preserving San Marino’s identity. In the union’s view, the association entails a responsibility towards the shared European project: San Marino must also ask itself what it can contribute to Europe.
“Our history of freedom and independence, our democratic traditions, our culture of dialogue, and the distinctive features of a small state represent a heritage that can enrich the European debate,” the CDLS states. “This is not about claiming some Sammarinese exceptionalism, but about recognising that even a small Republic can offer original experiences, sensitivities and perspectives when it comes to the great challenges of our time.”
For the union, then, integration “should not be experienced as a mere process of adapting to rules drawn up elsewhere, but as an opportunity for mutual growth.” The hope is that the signing will usher in “a season capable of combining openness with identity, economic development with social progress, and rights with responsibility.”
