Pordenonelegge 2025, the “festival of books and freedom”, starts from EU Parliament

Brussels – The 26th edition of Pordenonelegge starts at the heart of European democracy. From the benches of the European Parliament in Brussels, it was none other than the chamber’s president, Roberta Metsola, who presented the book festival that has, over the years, become the jewel in the crown of the Friulian city. Alongside her were also the vice-presidents Pina Picierno (PD) and Antonella Sberna (FdI).

“Reading unites us all, through books we enter into the lives of others across borders, eras, and cultures, it makes us feel part of the same humanity“: with these words the President of the Europarliament, Roberta Metsola, greeted this morning (2 July) the participants of the event “Europe in Dialogue“, hosted in the Brussels seat of the hemicycle by the delegation of Fratelli d’Italia (ECR) to present the 2025 edition of the literature review Pordenonelegge.

“The strength of ideas can build bridges of dialogue” and is a “fundamental tool for our democracy,” she added, emphasising that events such as this “are very useful” since “literature is always a privileged lens for addressing global challenges.”

Europe is, moreover, the fil rouge of the 26th edition of the event (to be held from 17 to 21 September), described by the president of the foundation of the same name, Michelangelo Agrusti, as a “fest of books and freedom.“ “Where there is no freedom, no books are written and read,” he argued, “apart from those of the regime,” and therefore “the book is the maximum expression of freedom of thought, both for the writer and the reader.”

The opening of the festival, he announced, will be entrusted to the Iranian lawyer and activist Shirin Ebadi, winner of the Nobel Peace Prize in 2003 and for years in exile outside the Islamic Republic, “as a sign of attention to what is happening in the world and particularly in the Middle East.”

Agrusti invites us to think of Pordenone as a “gigantic bookshop” in which, among other themes, that of “a great Europe, a Europe of plurality” will be addressed. Plurality that embraces both the Old Continent and, indeed, the Middle East region: Ukrainian, Russian, Palestinian, and Israeli authors will be present, all together to uphold the ultimate value of culture as an instrument of emancipation. 

The review, Agrusti concluded, is conceived “on the doorstep of history” and “will close with a great concert” to the notes of, among others, Beethoven’s Ninth, which contains the Hymn to Joy, the one officially adopted by the EU.

The 26th edition of pordenonelegge, Festival of Books and Freedom, was presented today in Brussels.
Here are some previews of this year’s guests! https://t.co/nmd8gA6IXq#pnlegge2025 pic.twitter.com/bWDDKex879

– pordenonelegge.it (@pordenonelegge) July 2, 2025

For Alessandro Ciriani, mayor of Pordenone from 2016 to 2024, when he was elected as a MEP, it is “extremely important” to be able to represent “a small territory like Friuli, which, however, in the space of three years will host two major events, Gorizia European Capital of Culture 2025, and Pordenone Italian Capital of Culture 2027.“

The demonstration, he says, that “such a small territory is, however, also compact, where a constant dialogue towards culture and education has accompanied a strong economic growth.” A “winning recipe” that, he explains, uses “cultural ferments” to “also build economic prosperity.”