“27 million of our fellow citizens subscribe to postal bonds or savings books. We could truly call them a ‘peaceful army of savings,’ mobilizing resources for the common good.” This is what President Sergio Mattarella said on stage at the La Nuvola Congress Center in Rome, during the event celebrating 150 years of postal savings.
Circular finance
“Anniversaries are eloquent: Cassa Depositi e Prestiti, as we have just heard, has reached 175 years of activity. Postal savings, which constitute its main funding channel, counts 150 years of activity in postal savings books and 100 years in postal bonds. ‘Circular finance’ was just referred to as the guiding philosophy of this history,” said the Head of State. “And indeed, this has been the history of Cassa Depositi e Prestiti: the collection of private savings.” Mattarella recalled the land reclamation projects of the late 19th century, the reconstruction of Messina and Reggio Calabria after the earthquake, the construction of the Pugliese Aqueduct, the Vajont tragedy, the Florence flood, “and many other difficult moments” that postal savings helped to address. “We have just celebrated the 101st World Savings Day, and, in a felicitous expression, Del Fante described postal savings as a tool for the democratization of finance and savings themselves – made more participatory, engaging, widespread, and democratic in our country,” added the President. “The capillarity with which savings books and bonds were distributed, the pervasiveness in the most diverse environments – from schoolchildren to the savings of our emigrants – are concrete examples of modernity in the management of money flows. I am old enough to remember the importance of postal money orders, which allowed for extremely rapid transfers of money.”
The reach of Poste Italiane
Furthermore, some savers also hold shares in Poste Italiane, added Mattarella. “Capillarity and innovation have characterized, and still characterize today, the service provided to savers, thanks to a network of services guaranteed even in smaller towns. I want to emphasize once again the fundamental importance of this aspect. The Polis Project has contributed to this result, providing a concrete response to the phenomenon of banking deserts in our country.
“All of this leads us to say, today as in the past, that even in the Italy that was being born in the fervor of renewal – alongside rural banks and cooperative banks – the counters of post offices educated people and provided access to savings for segments of the population aspiring to escape social marginalization.”
According to the Head of State, “Cassa Depositi e Prestiti and Poste Italiane truly stand out as agents of the Constitution, examples of the ability to adapt to the challenges of contemporary society and the expectations of the country. Their partnership faces a continuation of a path that contributes to the modernization and international connection of Italy. The Republic is grateful for the commitment you demonstrate.”
